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Tobira completes $31 million Series B financing

Tobira Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative antiviral compounds to treat HIV disease, today announced the completion of a $31 million Series B financing. New investor Novo A/S is leading the round, joined by original investors, Domain Associates, L.L.C., Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Montreux Equity Partners and Canaan Partners.

30 Sep 2010

U.N. agencies' report examines global progress in fight against HIV/AIDS

"A record 1.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries started antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in 2009" - a 30 percent increase from the previous year and a 13-fold increase in six years, according to a joint report released Tuesday by the WHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS, Reuters reports. In total, the report found that 5.25 million people received antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2009, three-quarters of them living in Africa (Migiro, 9/28).

30 Sep 2010

Opinions: U.S. aid to Pakistan; MDGS; GHI and Global Fund

The U.S. military has been working hard to provide flood assistance, but most of that is invisible to Pakistanis, David Ignatius writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. The article examines the views of Pakistani flood victims, including criticism of their own government's response.

30 Sep 2010

HIV AIDS drugs’ universal access dream remains improbable: Report

In a disappointing new report jointly commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN's AIDS programme and UNICEF it was revealed that only one third of people worldwide who need life-saving HIV drugs are actually getting treated. Universal access to these medicines has been the theme of effort but it was seen that that targets would not be met. The report urges the poorer countries must “substantially ramp up” the funds for HIV/AIDS.

29 Sep 2010

Significant progress made universally in increasing access to HIV/AIDS services: Report

Significant progress has been made in several low- and middle-income countries in increasing access to HIV/AIDS services, according to a new report released today. The report Towards universal access by WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS is the fourth annual report for tracking progress made in achieving the 2010 target of providing universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care.

29 Sep 2010

Report shows continuing progress in scaling up global HIV/AIDS interventions

The 2010 report on universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment released today by WHO, UNAIDS, and UNICEF shows continuing progress in scaling up global HIV/AIDS interventions.

29 Sep 2010

Patients' right to be involved in own medical care

Twelve years ago, then 28-year-old graduate student Brian Zikmund-Fisher was forced into the toughest choice of his life: Die from a blood disorder within a few years or endure a bone marrow transplant that could cure him or kill him in weeks.

29 Sep 2010

HIV care providers call Senate leaders to support Pennsylvania Legislation on HIV testing

HIV care providers from across the state today called upon key Senate leaders to support pending legislation that would change the current Pennsylvania law on HIV testing by removing the requirement for written informed consent and pre-test counseling.

29 Sep 2010

Florida likely to seek waiver on medical loss ratio; Ariz. cuts back Medicaid benefits

The Hill Healthwatch: "Florida's 14-member insurance advisory board has unanimously passed a resolution to seek a waiver from the health law's medical loss ratio. An official with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation tells The Hill that the board's vote means it's a 'done deal' that the state will formally seek some kind of waiver but the board is gathering public input through Oct. 8.

29 Sep 2010

GSK supports AHA policy statement on smokeless tobacco products

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, a leader in helping smokers quit and the marketer of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, including Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ, supports the findings of the American Heart Association (AHA) policy statement regarding smokeless tobacco products.

28 Sep 2010

NPL, Orla receives fund to improve detection methods for TB

Two UK companies have been awarded joint funding for a research project that could see significant advances in the quest to aid detection and eradication of Tuberculosis (TB), across the world.

28 Sep 2010

Opinions: U.S. food aid; MDGs; Contraceptive access, technology; U.S. AIDS funding; Foreign assistance reform

"The best way to help the millions of hungry people in countries that receive food aid get rid of their corrupt and incompetent rulers - and to ensure that their children will never go hungry in future — is to starve them now. That will turn them into raging, unstoppable anti-government regime changers," writes Nation Media Group Executive Editor Charles Onyango-Obbo in an East African opinion piece.

28 Sep 2010

MDG summit: Funding the Global Fund; Arab world's 'own challenges'

BusinessDay reports that following last week's Millennium Development Goal summit at the U.N. in New York, advocates "have called on rich nations to double their pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, saying it desperately needs more money if the world is to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015."

28 Sep 2010

IAVI investigators awarded grant to examine antibodies that neutralize HIV virus

A team of investigators headed by International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Investigator Pascal Poignard has been awarded a major grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the US National Institutes of Health to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying the generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies by HIV positive individuals.

28 Sep 2010

HHS Secretary announces $30M to expand HIV prevention efforts under President's NHAS

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that CDC has allocated $30 million of the Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund to expand HIV prevention efforts under the President's National HIV/AIDS Strategy. This includes $21.6 million in grants to state and local health departments.

27 Sep 2010

HHS announces grants to support public health programs

Six months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted another important facet of the law today with the announcement of nearly $100 million in grants made possible primarily by the new law's Prevention and Public Health Fund.

27 Sep 2010

Media outlets examine reaction to MDGS summit

Reuters AlertNet examines reactions by development experts and advocates to the U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which wrapped up Wednesday, after world leaders adopted a declaration that promised intensified efforts by the 192 U.N. member states to achieve the eight goals by 2015.

27 Sep 2010