Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala hasannounced the formation of a new task force, the National TaskForce on AIDS Drug Development.

"Not a single new drug application (NDA) of an anti-retroviralagent awaits FDA approval," said Shalala. The task force, shesaid, "has a clear and critical mission: to identify and removeany barriers or obstacles to developing effective treatment."

Shalala will appoint 15 individuals, to be drawn fromgovernment, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, medicineand AIDS activist communities, to the task force.

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