NO NEW NON-AIDS CLINICAL TRIALS WILL BE STARTED IN FY 1990 AT NIAID -- FAUCI

Executive Summary

The National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases will not be starting any new clinical trials outside the AIDS area in fiscal 1990 under the Bush Administration's budget proposal, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, MD, testified at a House HHS Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, April 3. "Clinical trials for the rotavirus vaccine, childhood asthma and neonatal herpes are all ready to go," Fauci asserted. However, the studies will not begin due to the lack of funding under the President's budget request. Other trials that cannot be started due to lack of funds include studies of the acellular pertussis vaccine, a genital herpes vaccine, and an influenza A vaccine, he added. As a result of funding shortages, Fauci acknowledged, "important non-AIDS research" has failed to increase "at an acceptable level." On the other hand, he added, AIDS research will produce spinoffs that will advance scientific knowledge and therapy in other areas. Subcommittee Chairman Natcher (D-Ky.) asked whether AIDS research draws too much funding from other research priorities at the National Institutes of Health. Fauci replied: "AIDS research will have many positive spinoffs in the years to come, much line cancer [research] did in the 1970s." The NIH associate director for AIDS pointed out that NIAID plans to expand its AIDS clinical trials program. The number of pediatric AIDS studies would increase to approximately $ 186 mil. from $ 149 mil. in fiscal 1989, Fauci said.