Faculty Bibliography

When the SARS epidemic ended last July, experts were concerned that it would come back from wherever it hid in nature. But officials of the World Health Organization were just as worried about a new epidemic emerging from a SARS sample that escaped from one of the many laboratories working with it. 'One problem is what happens when you have BL3 and BL4 laboratories in old buildings in developing countries,' he went on, adding: 'What struck me as quite bizarre is, here is a student working in a laboratory that handles SARS, and when she gets a respiratory disease and pneumonia, it takes three weeks before they even tested for SARS. That is a long period of time.' In that period, for example, she could have infected fellow passengers on trains. Black & White Photo: Peter Dasilva, The New York Times / The World Health Organization recommends that work on SARS be performed in a laboratory classified as Biosafety Level 3, the second-most biologically secure ranking. But according to at least one worried virologist, the world still needs a common definition of what a BL3 lab is.; Black & White Photo: Marilynn K. Yee, The New York Times / A researcher, wearing protective gear and taking in filtered air, works with cells infected with the SARS virus at Columbia University

When the SARS epidemic ended last July, experts were concerned that it would come back from wherever it hid in nature. But officials of the World Health Organization were just as worried about a new epidemic emerging from a SARS sample that escaped from one of the many laboratories working with it. The outbreak began March 25 after a graduate student became infected in China's main SARS laboratory in Beijing. Her case led to two more waves of transmission involving seven people -- including her mother, who died -- before her illness was recognized as severe acute respiratory syndrome on April 22. ''One problem is what happens when you have B.L. 3 and B.L. 4 laboratories in old buildings in developing countries,'' he went on, adding: ''What struck me as quite bizarre is, here is a student working in a laboratory that handles SARS, and when she gets a respiratory disease and pneumonia, it takes three weeks before they even tested for SARS. That is a long period of time.'' In that period, for example, she could have infected fellow passengers on trains

The expedited process is also designed to encourage manufacturers to create a single pill, consisting of two or three licensed anti- retroviral drugs that are more potent when taken together. Further, the speedier process will allow manufacturers to put combinations of these anti-retroviral drugs into single, easy-to-dispense packages, eliminating the confusing jumble of dosages that can hamper compliance with AIDS treatment, especially among the poor and illiterate

The [Bush] administration had been expected to be the target of heavy criticism at the weeklong meeting for its previous reluctance to approve inexpensive combinations of patented anti-retroviral AIDS drugs. In the past, the United States had insisted on more stringent criteria for inexpensive generic copies of these drugs and for approving fixed-dose combinations of them

The [Bush] administration had been expected to be the target of heavy criticism at the weeklong meeting for its previous reluctance to approve inexpensive combinations of patented antiretroviral AIDS drugs. In the past, the United States insisted on more stringent criteria than the World Health Organization had already required for inexpensive generic copies of these drugs and for approving fixed-dose combinations of them. From a public health perspective, Dr. [Peter Piot] said, fixed-dose combinations should increase the availability of antiretroviral drugs in remote areas and be safer for patients. Taking one pill, or a small number of pills should increase patient compliance and help prevent the development of resistant strains of H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, he said. The single pill would include two Gilead drugs -- tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, which the company sells under the brand name Viread, and emtricitabine, which it sells under the brand name Emtriva -- and a third drug, efavirenz. Bristol-Myers Squibb markets efavirenz under the brand name Sustiva in the United States, Canada and some European countries; Merck sells efavirenz as Stocrin elsewhere

The expedited process is also designed to encourage manufacturers to create a single pill, consisting of two or three licensed anti- retroviral drugs that are more potent when taken together. Further, the speedier process will allow manufacturers to put combinations of these anti-retroviral drugs into single, easy-to-dispense packages, eliminating the confusing jumble of dosages that can hamper compliance with AIDS treatment, especially among the poor and illiterate. The [Bush] administration had been expected to be the target of heavy criticism at the weeklong meeting for its previous reluctance to approve inexpensive combinations of patented anti-retroviral AIDS drugs. In the past, the United States had insisted on more stringent criteria for inexpensive generic copies of these drugs and for approving fixed-dose combinations of them

AIDS advocacy groups accused the [Bush] administration of bowing to pressure from the U.S. pharmaceutical industry by delaying approval of less costly generic copies of AIDS drugs to promote the sale of the more expensive, patented originals

At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration will provide speedy review of applications from foreign manufacturers to sell as generics in developing countries anti-retroviral drugs patented in the United States. Such approved generic drugs will be eligible for purchase under the [Bush] administration's $15 billion AIDS relief program, largely for countries in Africa and the Caribbean. [Tommy G. Thompson] announced the policy change in Geneva, where delegates from the World Health Organization were gathering for its annual meeting that begins today.The Bush administration had been expected to be the target of heavy criticism at the weeklong meeting for its previous reluctance to approve inexpensive combinations of patented anti-retroviral AIDS drugs. In the past, the U.S. had insisted on more stringent criteria for inexpensive generic copies and fixed- dose combinations of these drugs

The Public Library of Science, which publishes free scientific journals online, said it would add a medical journal to its lineup in the fall

To assess the level of care in the 12 communities, the authors received permission from the patients who participated to scour their medical records for the two preceding years. The authors recorded information concerning 439 steps involved in the care of 30 acute and chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure, immunizations, heart failure, diabetes, broken hips and alcoholism. Quality of care for some chronic diseases was variable. High blood pressure ranked among the best while diabetes care ranked lowest in most communities, the authors said. Preventive care for sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and substance abuse ranked lower than screening for high blood pressure and offering immunizations. The authors also called on research agencies to conduct studies involving larger numbers of communities. They said it would require a study of more than 100 metropolitan areas to draw more definitive conclusions about the effects of the structure of health care systems and finances. (Besides Newark, Miami and Orange County, the areas studied were Boston; Cleveland; Greenville, S.C.; Indianapolis; Lansing, Mich.; Little Rock, Ark.; Phoenix; Seattle; and Syracuse.)