A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Jan. 21, 2010 - Has long meeting in my office and private dinner at Trattoria Sorrento in Bethesda with Eric Goosby, the Ambassador at Large in charge of PEPFAR and the new Chief of the OGAC (Office of Global AIDS Coordinator) to discuss the future of PEPFAR. Recall that Eric was one of the people that I flew in the put the icing on the cake of convincing the White House in 2002 that I was right about starting PEPFAR. In any event, we discussed the issues of broadening the mandate of PEPFAR and integrating it in a more comprehensive health systems partnership with the developing countries. Unlike in the past, he is in favor of "operational" or "Implementation" research to determine best practices associated with PEPFAR mission. He confided in me the issues in the Department of State in putting the President's Global Health Initiative (GHI) under USAID with new Director Raj Shah. Since PEPFAR in included within and is the major part ($51 Billion out of $63 Billion) of the GHI, the question remains will Hillary Clinton put PEPFAR under USAID. Given the ineptitudes of USAID, I told Eric that he should never accept that. He agrees and actually said that he would resign if that happened. I do not think that things will happen that way.
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Jan. 25, 2010 - Had strategy meeting in Building 31, Room 7A24 and subsequent dinner at Positano restaurant in Bethesda to determine the Institute's strategy for vaccine research following the RV144 Thai trial results. I called in a small group to hash out the issues in intense deliberations. Present were: Larry Corey, Bart Haynes, Gepi Pantaleo, Louis Picker, Cliff Lane, Carl Dieffenbach, Peggy Johnston, Hugh Auchincloss, Carol Hudgings, Patty Conrad. General consensus is to continue with basic discovery, but to go ahead with other Phase 2B trials, particularly a poxvirus (likely NYVAC) prime and a protein boost (Clade C) in Africa. Will continue this discussion next week with the AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee (AVRS).
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Jan. 26, 2010 - Another meeting with Heidi Avery at the Situation Room in the West Wing of the WH to further discuss the new initiative to counter all public health threats including bioterror, but also all emerging and existing Health threats. Mike Kurilla and I have been fine tuning the NIH component. Present at the meeting was the same group as on January 19, 2010 (see above0 . Also present was the POTUS's science advisor John Holdren. We now have a 1-pager that Heidi has discussed with the POTUS and that is being considered for a brief comment in the State of the Union (SOTU) Address.
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Jan. 27-28, 2010 - Went to Boston to be the Bulfinch Visiting Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School at the invitation of Denny Ausiello (Chair of Medicine). Great visit, particularly interactions with House Staff and Wa Fellows. Gave the Bulfinch Lecture on Pandemic Influenza; extremely well-received by a standing room only crowd. On the trip home when I landed at DCA, I bought a hot dog since In was starving. I immediately ran into Nina Tottenberg and her husband David who god-naturely chastised me for eating the hot dog. With a minute I walked to a newsstand to buy a Washington Post. I ran into Karl Rove who jokingly said he would tell the world that the great Dr. Fauci was caught eating a hot dog. We had a good laugh. On evening of Jan. 27 POTUS mentioned the sentence that I crafted for Heidi in the SOTU Address: "And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease -- a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad." This is the second SOTU Address where my words were included. Other was the PEPFAR and Project BioShield statements in the Jan. 28, 2003 SOTU address by Pres. Bush.
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2010-01-29 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Jan. 29, 2010 - Met at the White House (EEOB 234) with Heidi Avery, Zeke Emanuel and several Pharma people whom Zeke had called in to ask the question of what would they need to work with us on this project that Heidi and the rest of us have been developing regarding developing a transforming approach to developing countermeasures for all public health threats. Present at the meeting were: Peter Kim (Merck), Lloyd Klickstein (Novartis), Rob Mashal (NKT Therapeutics), Sandy Hecker (Hecker and Associates), Lynn Marks (GSK), Richard Hatchett.
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Feb. 1, 2010 - Another meeting in the Situation Room of the WH with Heidi Avery with the usual cast of characters. For the past 2 meetings, Andy .... From DoD has joined as has John Holdren from PCAST. There is tension building where the HHS people (particularly Nicki Lurie and to some extent Jesse Goodman, Peggy Hamburg and Tom Frieden are getting nervous about the boldness of the proposal and whether we can "deliver" on the promises. Heidi is trying here best to explain that we need a bold initiative and if we are not bold and transforming, we will get nowhere. They are concerned that this is moving quickly particularly since Heidi is talking about possible face-time with the POTUS to have him accept and sanction this bold "new initiative'. I am leaning much more towards Heidi and have served as somewhat of an intermediary to try to alleviate their concerns. They are somewhat in the weeds. Heidi has been calling me up at night to get my confidential feedback about how we can get the HHS group from being so conservative.
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Feb. 2, 2010 - Had AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee (AVRS) meeting at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel to discuss the way forward following the Thai trial (RV144). We discussed the same issues that I discussed at the smaller meeting of my "Kitchen Cabinet" on Jan. 25. As usual, people had insecurities about pursuing a path that was not their path. In addition to the Jan. 25 group, also present were Dennis Burton, Bruce Walker, Nelson Michael, Jerome Kim, Debbie Birx (now at CDC). I made it clear to them in no uncertain terms that they needed to speak up openly and not stay silent and then after the meeting say they disagreed with the conclusions. It turned out to be a good meeting since they obviously heard what I said.
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Feb. 4, 2010 - Opened the Genomics Blue Ribbon Panel at the Bethesda North Marriott to plan the direction of genomics research for NIAID. All the stars were there - Ian Lipkin, Eric Lander, etc. Eric gave a great speech. About the use of genomics in infectious diseases. That evening presented my usual "State of NIAID" talk to the ASM Executive Committee. Feb. 5 and 6 and Feb and Feb 9 and 10 - 2 worse snow storms in the history of Washington, DC. Shut down schools and government for a week - it was a 0ne (32 inches at IAD) - two (20 inches in DC) punch. During this time we intensified the development of the PHEMCE (Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise) Initiative via Heidi Avery. Getting hot and heavy in that the HHS folks are getting cold feet. Although good friends of mine - Nicki Lurie appears afraid and over her head. Jesse Goodman is forever in the weeds. Peggy Hamburg is cautious but just now is starting to realize that this train is moving.
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Feb. 8, 2010 - Whole city is socked in with snow, but we still had meeting in Sit Room with the usual cast of characters. Heidi has obtained 1 hour face time for us with the POTUS, but the HHS crew is afraid. Issue is that they think that the concept is too bold and Nicki Lurie is afraid that it will supersede the IOM-led review of the enterprise that Sec. Sebelius has ordered for Feb. 22-23 and that must report to her by March 31. Heidi wants to leap over all of the nonsense and get the POTUS buy in. The pillars of her transforming plan are : 1) Multi-use principle - NIAID has already been pushing for this in the sense of partnering with industry to develop multi-use products and advance new platform technologies; 2) Collaborations, Partnerships and Cooperatives; 3) regulatory innovation and Advancement of regulatory Science; 4)Product Development and manufacturing services; 5) End-to-end Multidisciplinary Project Management (see entire document in records of My Documents).