The Nation : AIDS Blood Test Delayed

The government has delayed for “additional weeks” the licensing of a test designed to screen blood for evidence of the virus believed to cause AIDS--acquired immune deficiency syndrome--the Health and Human Services Department announced. Secretary Margaret M. Heckler acknowledged in a statement that the expected mid-February approval of the test has slipped, but gave no hint of when the Food and Drug Administration might act. “Additional weeks will be required for manufacturers to provide needed data . . . and for FDA to review it,” she said.