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Child Survival Call to Action event signals a 'hopeful moment' in global health

"Helping mothers give birth to HIV-free children is an essential piece of the puzzle of ending preventable child deaths," U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby writes in this post in the AIDS.gov blog, adding, "Yet 390,000 infants around the globe were born with the virus in 2010."

13 Jun 2012

Mylan, Teva resolve generic Provigil litigation

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has resolved all disputes with Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. stemming from litigation brought by Mylan in federal court in the District of Columbia against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning Mylan's abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Modafinil Tablets, 100 mg and 200 mg.

8 Jun 2012

Kenya to distribute free syringes, needles to people who use injection drugs

"The Kenyan government will begin distributing free syringes and needles to more than 50,000 [injection] drug users (IDUs) across the country in the next month," PlusNews reports, adding, "Policy-makers and experts said the decision was reached following concerns over the spread of HIV and other blood-borne illnesses through injection drug use."

8 Jun 2012

Study: HIV superinfection may be more common than previously believed

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) superinfection may be as common as initial HIV infection and is not limited to high risk-populations, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

8 Jun 2012

HIV superinfection may be more frequent among general population of Uganda

HIV superinfection, when a person with HIV could acquire a second, new strain of HIV, may occur as often as initial HIV infection in the general population in Uganda, a study suggests.

8 Jun 2012

HIV markets in rich, poor countries are two distinct markets

HIV drugs have not only "transformed a fatal disease into a chronic one," but "[t]hey have also made HIV a big business," this Economist editorial states.

2 Jun 2012

Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday weekly theme is PMTCT

"The Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday theme for this week is prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT)," an e-mail alert from USAID reports, noting, "PMTCT provides HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services for the whole family and is the most effective way to create an HIV-free generation."

31 May 2012

Pre-exposure preventive treatment may be effective against suspected HIV

While immediate postexposure treatment for suspected HIV is critical, pre-exposure preventive treatment is a newer method that may be effective for people in high-risk groups, states a review of evidence published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

29 May 2012

Ministers meet to discuss Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children

UNAIDS and PEPFAR recently brought together the ministers of health and representatives of the 22 countries with the most new HIV cases among children to discuss progress on the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive, agreed to at the 2011 U.N. High-Level Meeting on AIDS, according to a UNAIDS press release.

25 May 2012

Chronic diseases, bloodstream infections on the rise among HIV+ ICU patients

The expanded use of antiretrovirals, potent drugs used to treat retroviral infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been linked to significant decreases in hospital mortality rates among severely ill HIV-positive (HIV+) patients nationwide, primarily due to a decrease in opportunistic infections, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University.

24 May 2012

Study shows prevalence of drug-resistant HIV strains in Uganda rising, among highest in sub-Saharan Africa

"The prevalence of drug-resistant HIV strains in Uganda has risen from 8.6 percent to 12 percent in the last five years, one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent study," PlusNews reports.

24 May 2012

Severe hypersensitivity reactions to anti-HIV drug occur through autoimmune mechanism

Potentially severe hypersensitivity reactions to the anti-HIV drug abacavir occur through an autoimmune mechanism, resulting from the creation of drug-induced immunogens that are attacked by the body's immune system, according to a study published online by the journal AIDS, official journal of the International AIDS Society.

23 May 2012

B cells in breast milk can produce HIV-neutralizing antibodies

Antibodies that help to stop the HIV virus have been found in breast milk. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center isolated the antibodies from immune cells called B cells in the breast milk of infected mothers in Malawi, and showed that the B cells in breast milk can generate neutralizing antibodies that may inhibit the virus that causes AIDS.

23 May 2012

Bill introduced in U.S. Senate is latest push to award prizes for new drug development

"As Washington prepares for a major international AIDS conference this summer, developments on the drug front are once again elevating the subject of the continuing epidemic in the public eye," CQ HealthBeat reports.

22 May 2012

Maternal deaths drop by nearly half worldwide over 20 years; Greater progress still needed, U.N. reports

"The number of women dying of pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications has almost halved in 20 years, according to new estimates released [on Wednesday] by the United Nations, which stressed that greater progress is still needed in significantly reducing maternal deaths," the U.N. News Centre reports.

18 May 2012

Mylan receives final FDA approval for Clopidogrel Tablets ANDA

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Clopidogrel Tablets USP, 75 mg and 300 mg.

18 May 2012

TRCARC, IBM partner to strengthen HIV prevention effort

IBM is collaborating with the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center (TRCARC) to strengthen HIV prevention effort and to make Bangkok the world's first city to achieve "Zero New HIV Infections" by 2015.

17 May 2012

Reformulated anti-HIV gel may be safe for use in both vagina, rectum

A change in the formulation of tenofovir gel, an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use, may make it safer to use in the rectum, suggests a study published online this week in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. In laboratory tests of rectal tissue, researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) found that the reformulated gel was less harmful to the lining of the rectum than the original vaginal formulation, and just as effective in protecting cells against HIV.

17 May 2012

Newspapers examine concerns surrounding possible FDA approval of Truvada for PrEP

The New York Times and the Financial Times examine concerns expressed by AIDS activists and members of an FDA panel that last week recommended Gilead Sciences' antiretroviral drug Truvada be approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among healthy people at risk of contracting the virus.

16 May 2012

Lab21’s HCV drug resistance genotyping receives new patents in the U.S., Europe

Lab21 Limited, the Cambridge, UK-based specialist in personalised medicine has secured new patents in Europe and the USA relating to Hepatitis C (HCV) drug resistance as it continues to expand its intellectual property portfolio in infectious disease testing.

15 May 2012