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Incorrect
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Inaccurate
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Inaccurate
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An investigation found no evidence that deaths of HIV-positive foster children enrolled in AIDS drug trials were caused by trial medication, contrary to recent claims
In 2004, author Liam Scheff published claims that New York City foster children who were HIV positive participated in experiments with AIDS drugs in the late 1980s and early 1990s that led to the deaths of children. An investigation by the Vera Institute of Justice found that 25 foster children died during the 88 trials and studies conducted in New York City between 1985 and 2005, but Vera did not find that any of the deaths were caused directly by the drugs from the trials. Additionally, while 81.3 percent of the clinical trials in New York City that involved foster children were funded by National Institutes of Health institutes, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci’s personal involvement in funding decisions cannot be determined.
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Unsupported
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Inaccurate
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Misleading
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Inaccurate
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Low
Claims that people were being killed by zidovudine (AZT) instead of AIDS are unsubstantiated
Zidovudine, also known as AZT, was the first FDA-approved HIV drug; it received approval after it was shown to lower AIDS mortality at least in the short term. Due to its high toxicity, fast-tracked approval, and the development of viral resistance when zidovudine is given as a monotherapy, the drug is controversial although it is still used today in combination HIV therapy. The claim that more people were killed by zidovudine than AIDS itself during the 80s and 90s comes from a speculative quote in a 1989 article by an AIDS denialist. Anthony Fauci, as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), became the face of the U.S. government when it came to the AIDS epidemic, which included speaking to the media about zidovudine and its benefits. As the first FDA approved HIV drug, zidovudine was prescribed by many doctors treating HIV patients, and Fauci wasn’t the only doctor to promote zidovudine.
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Unsupported