ACTG Clinical Trial Sites: Seven Cut, Two Added

Since its founding in 1987, the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) has been the largest network of research centers studying AIDS treatments in people; it is operated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the primary agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsoring AIDS research. Over 40,000 adults and children have participated in ACTG clinical trials through university- based medical centers across the country.

As a result of a recent "recompetition" for funding, clinical trials at seven of the 35 current sites will be phased out over the next year, and two new sites will be added to the surviving sites. NIH will continue to fund clinical trials at defunded sites only if they require the data which those patients would provide; otherwise, patients will be referred to other clinical research centers.

More drastic ACTG cuts were first discussed, including elimination of major research sites at Harvard and New York University, although it has been denied that plans were changed in order to save these sites. There is concern that other AIDS research may be cut to pay for centers which were saved. The NIH refuses to speculate whether the budget for the ACTG, or the entire NIH clinical research budget, will likely increase or decrease until Congress and the Administration agree on their total budget, which at press time has again been stalled in partisan negotiations.

The seven existing sites which will be phased out over the next year are:

Connecticut: Yale University

District of Columbia: Georgetown University

New York: Albany Medical College

New York: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

New York: Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center

New York: SUNY/Brooklyn

Tennessee: Meharry Medical College (Nashville)