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Show A20 The Salt Lake Tribune AIDS Patient Finds Doctors a t Prim Medical Center dete Hopein Tests recalls he things that went through my head were. ‘I'm going ey and her mother carried the AIDS 1s It wa to die. astatin, Merritt more. We left the bes in, but I cut her medications My daughter is going to res die. @ Continued from A-1 Her husband, who preferred indinavir. stavu earlong experiment at the University of Utah is ermine designed to indinavir *Ss. comparing it with stavudine Merritt is among 25 Utah patients and 447 nationwide who volun teered for the study To protect the study from unin. tended bias. neither doctors nor patients will learn who took what until the studyis over Big drug companies pay univerresearchers sity nationwide to conduct such tests of new AIDS drugs. infected didn't — really even thoug Merritt's resistance. Her immune She was no longer just infected We protect oursely She cure AIDS. ageable illness Nor ‘You're going forever Merritt's former boyfriend died of AIDS in 1992 Haley died Noy. 23.1993. with bedside. “I'm hoping what we can do is make it a chronic, man- portive, but does not like to dis her parents at her had AIDS Merritt doubts any drug will {with condoms] until we found out,” Merritt says. She s her husband is sup cuss AIDS He always tells me. fromthe ordeal sapped cell counts dropped below 200. not to be interviewed, remains un. getting either or both UTAH Sunday, January 14, 1996 The disease affect eurologic At the wasn't smilin do doctors expect a cure away for this. Doctors believethat goal is fea- bloodstream a hundredfold, or 10 times more than drugs such as AZT. sible becausenew drugs are being developed and studies show medi- several years, so new medicines are needed. The same problem applies to protease inhibitors, so AIDS drugs tested in animals, Spruance says. The AIDS virus infects human immune cells and reproducesitself using an enzymecalled reverse transcriptase. Most previous AIDS drug AZT, ddI, ddC. stavudine and 3TC — hinderpro- duction of new virus particles by interfering with scriptase reverse tran- But patients developresistance after using themforsix months to you have to treat yourdis- ease every day,” says Andrew Pa- the amount of AIDS virus in the Protease inhibitors hit the AIDS virus at alater stage than AZT-type drugs. Theyattack the virus as it replicates inside infected cells. To reproduce, the virus makes long molecules. Then an enzyme called protease cuts the molecules into new virus particles. Protease inhibitors retard that process Oneprotease inhibitor — Hoffman-La Roche Ine.’s saquinavir — alreadyis on the market. Two more — Merck's indinavir and Abbott Laboratories’ ritonavir — are nearing approval Another two are in the advancedtests on cines workbetter in combination than alone, Pavia says to AZT and other antiviral drugs lives — as normal as a diabetic roll over or hold her own bottle because they had to turn people early studies indicate they reduce no vaccine to prevent the disease The goal in the short termis to control the virus from reproducing and damaging the immune where She never could talk. walk. sit drugs since AZT. Spruance says for AIDS anytime soon. There is system so people can have normal She Was 22 years old Merritt's doctor and clinical research director at the universi ty’s AIDS center theywill not be the final word in However, protease inhibitors arethe most promising new AIDS humans and five more arebeing In recent years, clinical trials of AIDS drugs in Utah have had roomfor only about 250 people including 35 in the indinavir experiments. That is a small fraction of the state’s AIDS-infected population, which Pavia estimates at 4,000 to 6,000 people — much higher than the reported cases Many AIDS patients do not want toparticipate intests of new drugs because requires Her immune-cell counts have . “I wasthrilled @ See Next Page Advocates say clinical tri- als provide AIDS patients good medical care, lab tests and the newest medicines free of charge We're giving some patients a jump on these drugs before they're says commercially available. physician Spotswood Woody” Spruance, who runs the university's two $100,000 studies of Merck & Co.'s indinavir Healing and Hope: Critics say clinical trials usually benefit fu- ture patients, not those participating in such experiments. Only a. fraction of experimental drugs proves safe and beneficial Physician Kristen Ries, head of the university’s AIDSclinic, says 40-60=""" SHOP SUNDAY AND MONDAY, JANUARY 14™ AND 15™ drug experiments are necessary ind the hope they provide patents is good. But shealso be- lieves such studies exploit the hopesof fatally ill people It is humannature for everybody in the trial to believe they're getting the protease inhibitor Ries says. “We knowthey're not But it gives them hope. Merritt previously was treated with AIDS drugs named AZT and ddl. She also participated in studies that showed stavudine and bisPOM PMEA benefited patients ORIGINAL PRICES who took them. But Merritt noted no improvement in her damaged immune system. She now knows that in at least one of those stud ies, she received the conventional medication, not the experimental drug Nonetheless, “studies give you an immense amount of hope. and you get excellent care,” she says For me it’s a financial issue, too i don't have to pay for mylab tests or my antivirals Merritt's private insurer ON REMAINING WINTER CLEARANCE APPAREL THROUGHOUT THE STORE: dropped her in August when she qualified for Medicare after be ing categorized as disabled due to AIDS. She says Medicare will not pay for her medicines \ patient taking several AIDS medicines can spend $12,000 an nually, Spruance says FOR I LADIES: d tops & bl FOR THE HOME: . Lent outerwear FOR MEN: d sportshirts FOR THE KIDS: Noe ide an eo sen * Long-sleeved shirts & blouses * Draperies hey offen volunteem for clinical trials to get medicines free, Ries says Even if Merritt is not helped by * * * * * * * * * * * * * Comforters * Bedding Coordinates ¢ Flannel sheets AIDS patients with insur . Mbarara outerwear Sweaters Coordinates Fleece Shoes Suits & suited separates Flannel shirts Fleece Shoes * Outerwear Sweaters Coordinates Fleece Shoes * Curtains medicines during clinical trials she believes her participation will help others What I'm doing by being in studies is not only for myself, but {also) for future people who be come infected,” she says, “It’s a WINTER CLEARANCE ITEMS HAVE BEEN RE-PRICED AND MOVED TO THE AISLES! Look for the Clearance Signsto find OUTSTANDING SAVINGS!! very good feeling Merritt rema 1s outwardly oe nfection HURRYIN WHILE QUANTITIES LAST! AIDS cripples the body's immune system leaving its vulnerable to illne and Paaraecinrae PLUS, FIND MORE FANTASTIC SAVINGS ete es counts of A DaughterIs Born: A Chicago native, THROUGHOUT THE STORE! certain immune-system white bloodcells are 1 below 200. Normal is 800 to 1,200 Merritt troubled teen-ager whose divorced mother | | 1 TESSENTIALS SPORTSWEAR I i Le ee tiful High School to Chicago, caterin for hotels after 30% OFF | LADIES’ WORTHINGTON AND WORTHINGTON® : eh t il a beautician She lived until ealace tiedintercede etna Lote eecd 30% OFF ALL HUNT CLUB® ULTIMATE BASICS IN MISSES’, PETITE AND WOMEN’S SIZES | I | gruary 1991 from birth Bspital BLOUSES, REG. $20 & UP FROM CHRISTIE AND JiLic! | J AND JACQUELINE FERRAR®| | Hale GYYYYYYvY¥YvYvyYvvYYYvyY infant |'25- 33% OFF) | 50% OFF | ALL CAPACITY® AND I I A 2ND LADIES’ MANY OTHER FAMOUS CABIN CREEK®KNIT OR MAKER CASUAL BRAND WOVEN TOP WHEN YOU | SPORTSWEARIN MISSES’,| l BUYind item 1 AT REGULARPRICE | must be of equal or lesser value. I!PETITE & WOMEN'SSIZES | | Coupon watt Sundin Svar 14 and Monday, Jenubry 18 see Couponvalid Suninay Janay 14 ang Monday, January 18, rn cinaeua Seams [30% OFF || 25% OFF j ALL KNIT TOPS AND ALL | | she movedto Utah. She fied in 1990 and had 4 *sThe ALL SHORTS IN JUNIOR, MISSES’, PETITE AND WOMEN’S SIZES 25% OFF ALL SWIMWEAR IN JUNIOR, MISSES’ AND WOMEN’S SIZES 0/18, 1006 25%OFF | ALL DENIM JEANS IN JUNIOR, MISSES’ AND WOMEN’S SIZES I I es eet eae ae cee ea eae otc pe em co Regular prices appea adare offering prices only. Sales may or may not have been made at regular prices. Sale prices on ry 15th, Percentages off represent savings onregular prices or original prices. Reductions onoriginal priced merchandise 9 or original prices which mayvary by market. Any event * watches, Starter merchandise, Haggar* Wrinkle-Free Cottons”, Hanes" shoes, Marquis™ by Watertord* Crystal, Fieldcrest* Royal Buys, itemssold every day in multiple 9s of two or more and ValueRight items which are fre- declined since she started the When Merritt joinedthe indin- avir study July 20, it quent visits to the university for testing. Ries says. Others arenot reliable because they are substance abusers Merritt's reliability makes her ideal. She keeps appointments andmaintains a diary of her medication andhealth. JCPenney e a a |
