National Task Force Meets April 14-15

The National Task Force on AIDS Drug Development will hold its first
meeting on April 14 and 15, at the Sheraton National Hotel in
Arlington, Virginia. The meeting is open to the public, and there will
be time for public testimony. Those wishing to speak should notify
the contact person (below) in advance, by April 7 if possible. Perhaps
more importantly, information can also be submitted in writing.

The National Task Force "identifies any barriers and provides
creative options for the rapid development and evaluation of
treatments for HIV infections and its sequelae. It also advises on
issues related to such barriers and provides options for the
elimination of these barriers."

The contact person for this meeting is Jean H. McKay, Office of AIDS
and Special Health Issues (HF-12), Food and Drug Administration,
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, phone 301/443-0104, fax
301/443-4555.

Comment

This task force, meeting occasionally for two days in an auditorium,
cannot automatically fix the problems of AIDS research -- any more
than the election of a sympathetic U.S. president could automatically
do so. What the National Task Force can do is to enable those who are
working in the laboratories and clinics to explain their practical
problems and their suggestions -- and hopefully get results. But
principal investigators, research nurses, lab assistants, etc. will need
to approach the task force and tell what they know. Often this is
difficult, because of the politics of funding, or of the workplace;
perhaps we need an organization called Speak Up to encourage
people to give the task force the depth of information it needs. You
can write to the National Task Force on AIDS Drug Development, c/o
Jean McKay at the address above, at any time, before or after the
upcoming meeting, and your information will be forwarded to the
members.

Incidentally, AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is always interested in such
information; we read everything you send. You can write or call us at
any time, anonymously if you want.