NEWS

02/02/1996



<TITLE> FDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS VARIOUS AIDS TREATMENTS

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NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS                       Ivy Fleischer Kupec

February 2, 1996                             (301) 443-3285





FDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS VARIOUS AIDS TREATMENTS



     The Food and Drug Administration will convene a Feb. 28-

March 1 meeting of its Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee and

other outside experts to review marketing applications for two 

protease inhibitor drugs to treat HIV infection and to discuss

recent studies of the clinical effectiveness of nucleoside

analogue drugs used in combination to delay the complications of

HIV infection.  Additionally, on March 1st, FDA will convene its

Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee to review a

marketing application to treat AIDS-related wasting.

     On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the committee will discuss recent

studies of nucleoside analogues, AZT, ddI and ddC, used to treat

HIV infection, including the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG)

Study 175, the Delta study, CPCRA 007 and other relevant studies.

This session will be held at Holiday Inn-Gaithersburg Grand

Ballroom, Two Montgomery Village Ave.

     On Thursday, Feb. 29, the committee will review data on the 

safety and effectiveness of ritonavir, the protease inhibitor

which Abbott Laboratories manufactures in both liquid and

capsules to treat HIV infection.  This session also will be held

at Holiday Inn-Gaithersburg. 

                             -more-



                             Page 2, NTC, Protease inhibitor

     On Friday, March 1, the committee will deliberate on the

safety and activity data for indinavir, Merck & Co.'s protease

inhibitor.  This session will be held at the Holiday Inn-

Gaithersburg.

     Also on Friday, March 1, the FDA's Endocrinologic and

Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee and outside experts will meet

to discuss Serono's growth hormone, somatropin, for AIDS-related

wasting at the Holiday Inn-Silver Spring Plaza Ballroom, 8777

Georgia Ave.

     All sessions will allow for public comments around the

midday and are planned to run 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., with one

exception.  The session on somatropin begins at 8 a.m.

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