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.