[Email to Maurice Hilleman from Bruce Weniger]

TO: Maurice R. Hilleman, MD
Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research
Merck and Co. (53C-350)
West Point, PA 19486 Fax: [phone]
FROM: Bruce G. Weniger, MD
Member, Research Committee,
Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Mail: NIP (E-61), CDC, Atlanta, GA 30333
DATE: 16 December 1995
SUBJECT: Statement to Research Committee of PACHA on HIV Vaccines
Dear Dr. Hilleman,
I want to acknowledge receipt of your statement and recent article submitted to the
Research Committee of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS (PACHA). I
have read them carefully and welcome your taking the time and effort to inform us of your
assessment of the obstacles to AIDS vaccine development and pathways to overcome them
based on your legendary experience and perspective in the field of vaccine development.
At our Council meeting last week we deferred a full discussion of the AIDS vaccine
development issue to a later date when sufficient time and expert opinion such as your own
could be available to us. In any case, enclosed please find some news from the recent White
House Conference on HIV and AIDS and our Council's meeting.
At some time, I would like to discuss your thoughts on various other "endpoints" for an
HIV/AIDS vaccine besides "sterilizing immunity", such as preventing or delaying AIDS, or
reducing contagiousness to others, and how these might affect the designs and policy decisions
regarding vaccine trials.
I do hope you will continue to share with us your thoughts, ideas, and concerns on this
and other issues. In turn, I hope to be able to look to you for advice and counsel on vaccine
development issues.
Thank you.
Bruce G. Weniger
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