[Email Exchange between Bruce Weniger and Don Francis]

Weniger, Bruce
From: Weniger, Bruce [CORP/NIPI/bgw2]
Sent: 19-Mar-98 18:51
To: 'Mann, Jonathan (Allegh Univ)'
Cc: 'Clements-Mann, Mary Lou (JHU)'
Subject: FW: Jonathan's criticism; PACHA Vaccine Recommendations
Dear Jonathan,
FYI, what I wrote to Don F. Please note
the attachment far below. You made this possible.
Thanks,
Bruce
-Original MessageFrom: Weniger, Bruce
Sent: 19-Mar-98 18:49
To: 'Francis, Don (VaxGen)'
Subject: RE: Jonathan's criticism; PACHA Vaccine Recommendations
Dear Don,
Thanks for your reply. One could tell by the depth
of emotion that Jonathan brought to his presentation on
Sunday that he felt very deeply and strongly about
the fiasco of what has been happening with AIDS
vaccine development efforts over recent years.
I am sure he agonized long and hard before deciding
to take his assessment public.
So I can understand and excuse a degree
of bluntness in his personalizing the responsibility
for the status of things, even if his naming of names
surprised me a bit, too. To some extent these players
are victims themselves of the culture of the organization,
which, like any highly politicized body, will only respond
when the adverse publicity and political pressure
overcomes forces who have other priorities and
interests.
I would just have pointed out one of
the fundamental reason for bad policymaking
over AIDS vaccines at NIH is that the "senior
officials making policy decisions for AIDS
vaccines have NO vaccine development
experience." "Vaccinology is a distinct science
and we need the wisdom and experience of those
scientists who have devoted their careers to it."
The reporters could figure out who these were.
One of the ways I documented this
observation a year ago was MEDLINE searching
since 1965 of members of the Levine Committee's
AIDS vaccine panel, as well as Baltimore's Committee,

of whom fewer than 25% of members have any
published vaccinology experience, broadly defined.
I would guess the same would be true for the ARAC
members in 1994 who voted down the trials, but I /
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