A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Mar. 25, 2008 - I organized and ran what might be an historic meeting today on the future of HIV Vaccine Research. Ever since the disappointing results from the STEP trial (Merck ad5 prime-boost - see above), there has been increasing pressure within ourselves and in the scientific and certain activist communities to re-evaluate whether we should turn the knob of support more towards basic discovery as opposed to clinical trials of vaccine candidates for an HIV vaccine. On Nov. 16, 2007 I received a letter from a group of basic scientist/animal model HIV researchers asking to meet with me following the failed STEP trial in which vaccinated people with pre-existing Ad5 titers actually seemed to have an increased risk of HIV acquisition compared to placebo. They felt that we were wasting money on vaccine trials which they claimed had no basis to predict success based on animal model data. They were particularly concerned about going ahead with Gary Nobel's VRC trial -PAVE 100 that tested 3 DNA primes followed by an Ad5 boost. However, others point out that the animal model has not been validated in the human and so unfortunately, we are really flying blind. In any event, in a manner similar to how I handled the AIDS activists >20 years ago in that same room (31/7A-24), I listened and suggested that we have HIV Vaccine Summit to discuss the direction of AIDS research. Hence the meeting today. Just a few days ago, a group called AIDS healthcare Foundation stated that we should stop ALL HIV vaccine research and put the money towards proven prevention activities. We had the Summit today and it was enormously successful. I played an active leadership role in the process as opposed to just listening. The meeting was chaired by Warner Greene and Adel Mahmoud and there were 3 panels: 1) basic discovery chaired by Jim Hoxie and Dennis Burton; 2) animal models chaired by David Watkins and Malcolm Martin; and 3) Clinical Research chaired by Scott Hammer and Julie Overbaugh. Great press coverage. I concluded at end of meeting that we would indeed turn the knob more towards basic discovery research and promised an immediate $10 Million for a broad RFA to come from moneys saved from truncating some of the clinical trial activity such as a tighter PAVE 100. Recall that our budget has been flat for the past 5 years and so there is no extra money coming in. Below is an article from the NY Times by Larry Altman from Mar. 26 that summarized the Mar. 25 meeting:
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Mar. 26, 2008 - Rave reviews coming in regarding "my leadership" during the Summit. Went down to White House (NEOB 5235) to brief OSTP WH Science Advisor Jack Marburger and his staff together with staff from FLOTUS on the HIV vaccine situation, particularly given all of the publicity. I had appeared on NBC News, VOA, Bloomberg TV as well as articles in Washington Post, NY Times (see above) and WSJ. Now we need to follow-up with RFA's etc. April 1 and 2, 2008 - Visited Princeton University to Deliver the Inaugural Adel Mahmoud Lectureship and to participate in a Panel discussion with Bill Frist, Andrew McGuire, and Beatrice Hahn at a Symposium on "No Country Left Behind: Transforming Global Health given by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Bill Frist spent some time telling the audience that if it were not for me PEPFAR would not have happened. Had dinner at a Princeton mansion, went to Adel Mahmoud's and Sally Hodder's home (where I stayed overnight - beautiful modern Salvatore Dali-like home) for after dinner cocktails with some of the Princeton Faculty. Was very impressed with the commitment to teaching students that I saw among the faculty as well as the competency and popularity of Shirley Tilghman (President). Next day taught a class in the Dept. of Molecular Biology run by Leon Rosenberg and Adel Mahmoud. Spoke about the evolution of my career. Students were great. On evening of April 2, had long interview with Meredith Wadman of Nature who is doing a story on PEPFAR and wanted a bit of the history. April 3 - June 10, 2008 - Very busy and eventful times. Had virtually no time to enter events into diary. We try to summarize. The Democratic primary loomed hot and heavy with Hillary refusing to concede despite the fact that numerically it was impossible for her to pull ahead of Barack Obama. Finally after the Oregon (Obama) and South Dakota (Clinton) primary, she begrudgingly conceded on June 6. April 21 - Participated with Sec. Leavitt in a "Georgetown Conversations" function at the home of April and John Delaney in Potomac, MD. This series is sponsored by Meryl Chertoff (Mike Chertoff's wife) and Larry Gostin. Bring together a bunch of prominent people in an elegant home and make brief statement, followed by Qs and As and then dinner. Very enjoyable. April 26 - Went to Chicago for the AAP Annual Meeting to induct Bob Seder into the AAP (I sponsored him). Saw Megan and had a nice brunch and then went to L.A. for the Milken Institute's Annual Global Conference where I participated in 2 stimulating Panel Discussions on Global Health. Greg Simon (Al Gore's former Chief-of-Staff) got me involved. Met a lot of political financial backers at the meeting. Had dinner at the L.A. mansion (Sunset Boulevard) of Lynda and Stewart Resnick and gave dinner remarks. May 2 - Went to Sommerville, NJ to a Merck retreat to help them decide what they are going to do with their HIV vaccine program following the disappointing results of the STEP study. Many players in the field were there: David Baltimore, Dennis Burton, David Ho, Ron Desrosiers, Jerry Sadoff, a bunch of Merck people. Decision is that although they want to stay intellectually involved and make reagents available to others, they are really going to suspend further studies. May 13 -- Very sad day! May 19 -- Went to Paris to the Institut Pasteur to give a lecture at the Symposium commemorating "25 Years of HIV", i.e. the discovery by Montagnier. Gave initial lecture on our recent paper in Nature Immunology on the new receptor for HIV -- a4B7. Had good time in Paris seeing old friends. Had dinner in the Eiffel Tower with the whole group -- sat next to Alice Daubry -- Director of the Institut Pasteur. May 30 -- AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee (AVRS) meeting in Bethesda to discuss decision of whether to proceed with the PAVE 100 study of the VRC. The AVRS voted 23 to 3 to go ahead. Decision will come soon. June 1 -- Gave Commencement Address at UMASS and also saw Jenny in Boston with her friend Endria Dickinson. Had good time.
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June 4, 2008 -- Jenny's graduation from Harvard. J.K. Rowlings gave a great commencement address. Wonderful time despite very cold (for June -- 52 degrees) and raining for 2 days. Jenny graduated magna cum laude. Had nice dinner at Artu in the North End. June 10 -- Big honor. Was invited by President of the U.N. General Assembly Dr. Srgjan Kerim to deliver a Keynote Address at the 2008 U.N. General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV AIDS. Addresses were by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Pres. Kerim, Peter Piot, PWA Ms. Ratri Suksma from Malaysia. This was followed by several Heads of State (El Salvador, Togo, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, and Central African Republic). Jenny was in NYC interviewing for jobs and she was there for the presentations. She was excited by it. Have a great photo of me at the podium of the UN General Assembly giving my speech.
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June 11, 2008 -- It was publicly announced by the White House today that I will receive from the POTUS at the WH the Presidential Medal of Freedom on June 19. Other honorees will include: Dr. Benjamin Carson, Congressman Tom Lantos (posthumously and accepted by his widow), Gen. Peter Pace, Donna Shalala, and Laurence Silberman.
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2008-06-17 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
June 17, 2008 - I will be attending his memorial service at the Kennedy Center tomorrow. Bono called me today to congratulate me on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I caught him up on my family and mentioned that Megan was starting at Columbia in September. His daughter Jordan (JoJo) is also starting Columbia. He asked me to send him Megan's contact information since he is worried that his daughter will be lonely since she is coming directly from Ireland. Perhaps they will become friends.
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June 18, 2008 - Attended the memorial service for Tim Russert at the Kennedy Center. Extraordinary Washington affair with the total "A list" present. Hosted by Tom Brokaw. See book published in 2013 called "This Town" by Marc Liebovich for full details of the ceremony.
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June 19, 2008 - Extraordinary day at the White House for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremonies. Crisp, clear blue sky, sunny and comfortable day. A lot of joy in the presentations (see my written file records of what was said about me by the POTUS). Very good media coverage. The presentations for everyone were very warm. Lots of wonderful pictures. Many guests (some of whom came for me) such as Justice Scalia, Sam Donaldson, Cuba Gooding, Judge Merrick Arlen, Gen. Richard Meyers,, etc. I had very warm interaction with the POTUS. When we approached him with my group of 10 (Chris, Jenny, Ali, Denise and Jack, Cliff Lane, Hugh Auchincloss, J.J. McGowan, Greg Folkers and Patty Conrad) to take a group Picture, the POTUS hugged me and put his lips to my ears and said, "I love you Tony, Thanks for all you do for our country and the world". The ceremony took place in the east Room and the reception took place in the Banquet room of the East Wing. After the ceremony we watched from the balcony as the POTUS took off in Marine One for a tour of the flood damage in Iowa. After the reception, Chris took off with Ali to fly to Chicago to bring home Megan from her year there. Jenny is home after graduation trying to decide what she will do next year.
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June 21 - 29, 2008 - Extraordinary trip to Greece with Chris, Jenny, Megan and Alison. I went first to Thessaloniki to deliver Keynote Address at the Immunocompromised Host Society Chaired by Steve Holland. Spoke on HIV/AIDS (of course). Then met family in Athens where I received an honorary doctorate at the University of Athens sponsored by Haralampous (Harry) Moutsopoulos, my old friend from NIH days 30 years ago. Absolutely fabulous time, elegant hotel (Grand Bretagne), wonderful food, elegant ceremony (very formal with old robes), sight-seeing at Acropolis, Agora, Old Olympic Stadium. Then spent 3 days on the island of Santorini (Ali picked the place) in a beautiful, but understated beachfront Hotel with Harry and his wife Foteini. Santorini is a volcanic island of indescribable beauty. Perfect weather - no clouds at all for 1 week in Greece. Great hospitality, especially from Harris Roussos, an old and dear friend of Harry's who runs the biggest hospital in Athens and who owns an elegant home in Santorini. They threw a "Greek-Style" party for us one night. Spent evenings eating <s working with elegant meals at mountain cliff restaurant or on the beach. Visited Oia, Fira - stayed at Kamara Beach. One of the best vacations (albeit brief) that I have ever experienced.
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July 3, 2008 - Gave lecture at the Ideas Festival at Aspen, CO on HIV/AIDS in 2025: Will we have a vaccine and a cure by then?". Usual ambiance of Aspen with nice dinner on the night of July 2 catered by the famous Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkley, CA and narrated by Corby Kummer, renowned food critic of The Atlantic (also the person who lent us his apartment in Boston for Jenny's graduation (see above). Met usual celebrities at dinner. Spoke with Chris Jennings (Clinton's Health person who is now with the Obama Campaign since Obama won the primary. He wants to get me involved as a person to advice the campaign informally about what they are on track with certain issues.