STIGMA, CONFLICT, AND THE APPROVAL OF AIDS DRUGS

A preliminary report questioning the efficacy of zidovudine (AZT) in t he early treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) implic itly questions the expedited process by which AZT was approved, While the public historically has influenced drug policy, recent changes wer e brought about by activists threatening civil insurrection to expand access to unapproved treatments. Turner's social conflict theory is us ed to explain the recent structural changes in the drug approval proce ss in terms of the overt struggle for control over access to potential ly life-saving drugs, This passion for change is shown to be a result of the stigma of the disease itself. Challenging the hegemony of the F DA was a mechanism by which activists coped with the imputed stigma of AIDS, While controversial, activism has increased access to new drugs and will have a far-reaching impact on how future drugs are approved.