U.S. National Institutes of Health Signs Cooperation Agreement With Italian Institute

The U.S. National Institutes of Health signed an agreement on Monday with Italy's Superior Institute of Health to step up research cooperation on cancer, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, women's health and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The accord broadens the scope of a cooperation agreement signed in April by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and his Italian counterpart on bioterrorism and other scourges, officials said. The collaboration will focus especially on malaria and TB and on vaccine development for HIV/AIDS, according to NIH Director Elias Zerhouni. The collaboration also responds to President George W. Bush's initiative to combat AIDS in Africa, said Mel Sembler, the U.S. ambassador to Italy.

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