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Phase II clinical trial of Gilead Sciences' elvitegravir, GS 9350 and Truvada meets primary objective

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that a Phase II clinical trial of its investigational integrase inhibitor-based, once-daily, fixed-dose “Quad” regimen of elvitegravir, GS 9350 and Truvada® (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection met its primary objective.

7 Jan 2010

$HIV-infected postmenopausal women face higher risk for accelerated bone loss and fracture$

HIV-infected postmenopausal women face higher risk for accelerated bone loss and fracture

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), postmenopausal HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of low bone mineral density and high bone turnover placing them at high risk for future bone fractures.

5 Jan 2010

Matrix Laboratories receives FDA tentative approval for Efavirenz NDA under PEPFAR

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Matrix Laboratories Limited has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for its New Drug Application (NDA) for Efavirenz Tablets, 50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg. These innovative pediatric dosages in tablet form were developed by Matrix for use in treating pediatric HIV/AIDS.

22 Dec 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A Scientific American article examines recent efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The author writes "NTDs have plagued humankind for thousands of years. … What is new, however, is that donors, drugmakers, health ministries in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), and public-private partnerships are linking their efforts to combat the NTDs in a more coordinated and systematic way."

18 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: Kenya HIV/AIDS; Uganda bill; water project in Philippines; U.N. appeal for Yemen

U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger on Wednesday announced the U.S. would provide $26.5 million (2.7 billion Kenyan shillings) between 2009 and 2013 to fight HIV/AIDS in Kenya, the Daily Nation reports (Sinundu, 12/16). In related news, the Standard reports the Kenyan government will be begin the gradual phase out of the antiretroviral drug, Stavudine, which is known to cause adverse side effects (Mwai, 12/15).

17 Dec 2009

More details emerge about UNITAID's plan for patent pool for HIV/AIDS drugs

News outlets continued to follow UNITAID's recent announcement to create a patent pool aimed at lowering the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs for low- and middle-income countries. Though UNITAID's board "voted Monday to create a board to run the new patent pool, and set a target of having five AIDS drugs in the pool by mid-2010," the group "punted on the thorny issue of which countries outside of Africa to include in the pool," Forbes reports.

16 Dec 2009

Tibotec Virco Virology BVBA acquires Ground Zero Software's LAB TRACKER HIV EMR system

Tibotec Virco Virology BVBA today announced the acquisition of LAB TRACKER(TM) HIV, a customized electronic medical record (EMR) system, from the company Ground Zero Software. LAB TRACKER(TM) HIV is a full-service, scalable software platform designed to meet the complex disease-management needs of health care providers who are treating people living with HIV/AIDS.

15 Dec 2009

Microbicide does not reduce women's risk of HIV infection, study shows

Pro 2000, a vaginal microbicide gel designed to reduce women's risk of HIV infection, showed "no evidence that it reduces the risk of HIV infection," according to the results of a series of clinical trials in Africa, Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said on Monday, Reuters reports.

15 Dec 2009

AVAC: MDP 301 effectiveness trial finds no evidence that PRO 2000 microbicide reduces HIV infection

The Microbicides Development Programme announced earlier today that its MDP 301 effectiveness trial, which was conducted among almost 9,400 women in four African countries, found no evidence that the PRO 2000 microbicide reduces the risk of HIV infection.

14 Dec 2009

Forbes examines ongoing discussions over HIV/AIDS drugs patent pools

Forbes examines the ongoing discussions between aid groups and drug manufacturers over the formation of an HIV/AIDS drugs patent pool to help drive down costs for developing countries.

13 Dec 2009

Clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine

HIV-infected adults currently are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health, will enroll approximately 240 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64.

13 Dec 2009

ARTs safe without routine lab tests, Lancet study finds

A Lancet study published online Tuesday validates the safety of administering first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) to patients with HIV without routine toxicity and efficacy lab tests, "[b]ut tests of immune-system function might still be a good idea to monitor the progression of the disease and guide the second year of treatment," HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report reports. Patients in Africa "often receive [HIV] drug treatment ... without routine laboratory monitoring," according to the article.

10 Dec 2009

Washington Post, New York Times examine PEPFAR

The Washington Post examines the Obama administration's goal "to get the 'emergency' out of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" and integrate HIV/AIDS programs more into the health infrastructure of recipient countries. A five-year strategy for PEPFAR was released last week.

9 Dec 2009

DOTS has cured 36m People, prevented up to 8m TB deaths over 15 years, WHO says

Since the WHO developed Directly Observed Therapy, Short-course (DOTS) in 1994 for the treatment of tuberculosis, approximately 36 million people have successfully completed treatment and been cured over the past 15 years, according to new data released by the WHO on Tuesday, health-e reports (Thom, 12/8).

9 Dec 2009

Opinions: ARV access; global health promotion; climate change; under-nutrition; Ethiopia

In an Intellectual Property Watch column, Daniele Dionisio, of the Italian Network for International Fight against AIDS, examines how trade rules and policy directions by governments and institutions may help to improve countries' access to antiretrovirals.

8 Dec 2009

Aid agencies launch $378M 2010 aid request to improve health in Zimbabwe

More than 70 agencies, led by the U.N., launched a request on Monday for $378 million in aid, which will be used to improve health and food security, as well as water and sanitation, Reuters reports. Though Zimbabwe's power-sharing government has improved some "social conditions in the country," the agencies "say more needs to be done" (Banya, 12/7).

8 Dec 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

Ahead of the U.N. Climate Change conference in Copenhagen next week, a Lancet comment examines the health consequences associated with climate change and the case for linking climate and health goals. "The issue now is not whether climate change is occurring, but how we can respond most effectively. ... Responding to climate change is not a distraction from the business of protecting health: it is part of the same agenda," the author writes (Chan, 12/5).

4 Dec 2009

NIDA funds proposed 'seek and treat' strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Dr. Julio Montaner - Director, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), and President, International AIDS Society - congratulated Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for taking a leadership role in the evaluation of the "Seek and Treat" strategy originally developed at the BC-CfE.

3 Dec 2009

Leaders respond to World AIDS Day; South Africa to expand HIV treatment program

Marking World AIDS Day on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon "warned ... that new infections are outpacing the gains from treating people with the HIV virus" and that discrimination against HIV-positive people remains "widespread," the Associated Press reports.

2 Dec 2009

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative calls for redoubled efforts in vaccine development

As we approach World AIDS Day, observed globally December 1, we are reminded that while progress has been made in expanding access to treatment and prevention and that progress has been made toward the development of new prevention tools, the world is still falling short of established targets for providing universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010. Nearly 5.5 million of the estimated 9.5 million people in need of antiretroviral therapy are still not receiving it.

2 Dec 2009

Antiretroviral News and Research

Phase II clinical trial of Gilead Sciences' elvitegravir, GS 9350 and Truvada meets primary objective

HIV-infected postmenopausal women face higher risk for accelerated bone loss and fracture

Matrix Laboratories receives FDA tentative approval for Efavirenz NDA under PEPFAR

Recent releases in Global Health

Also in global health news: Kenya HIV/AIDS; Uganda bill; water project in Philippines; U.N. appeal for Yemen

More details emerge about UNITAID's plan for patent pool for HIV/AIDS drugs

Tibotec Virco Virology BVBA acquires Ground Zero Software's LAB TRACKER HIV EMR system

Microbicide does not reduce women's risk of HIV infection, study shows

AVAC: MDP 301 effectiveness trial finds no evidence that PRO 2000 microbicide reduces HIV infection

Forbes examines ongoing discussions over HIV/AIDS drugs patent pools

Clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine

ARTs safe without routine lab tests, Lancet study finds

Washington Post, New York Times examine PEPFAR

DOTS has cured 36m People, prevented up to 8m TB deaths over 15 years, WHO says

Opinions: ARV access; global health promotion; climate change; under-nutrition; Ethiopia

Aid agencies launch $378M 2010 aid request to improve health in Zimbabwe

Recent releases in Global Health

NIDA funds proposed 'seek and treat' strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Leaders respond to World AIDS Day; South Africa to expand HIV treatment program

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative calls for redoubled efforts in vaccine development

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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