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Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Infectious Diseases editorial describes the growing public concerns over a global rise in antimicrobial resistance. "Bearing in mind that our objective is to contain antibiotic resistance rather than eradicate it, several policies could be adopted to help guarantee a future for antibiotics," the editorial states, adding, "We need reliable data to tackle antibiotic resistance.

2 Apr 2011

U.N. Secretary-General releases report assessing global response to HIV/AIDS

Nearly 30 years since researchers first described HIV/AIDS, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, released a report assessing the global HIV/AIDS response, Agence France-Presse reports.

1 Apr 2011

Merck's VICTRELIS phase III study results against HCV presented at EASL annual meeting

Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced results from several new data analyses from the pivotal Phase III studies evaluating the addition of its investigational oral protease inhibitor VICTRELIS to peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection.

1 Apr 2011

HIV/AIDS drugs shortage with rise in cases: An update

According to Australia's Ambassador on HIV/AIDS, Murray Proctor, Asia is falling short on HIV/AIDS treatment as almost 400,000 new cases are reported each year. He was attending a regional conference on universal access to treatment for AIDS where he said availability and price of vital anti-retroviral or anti- HIV medications remain a challenge for the region.

31 Mar 2011

Could HIV-infected organs save 'lives?

Johns Hopkins researchers argue for reversing ban on transplanting infected organs and making them available to HIV-infected patients

30 Mar 2011

Financial Times examines rise in public, private sector global partnerships for aid delivery

"New models of financing and delivering development programmes are bringing far-reaching changes to the international public sector," with " traditional government-to-government transactions … giving way to complex networks of partners - some of them from the private sector - to provide everything from antiretroviral drugs and girls' education to emergency food supplies," the Financial Times reports in a piece that explores why such changes are taking place and their implications for future funding.

28 Mar 2011

Gilead's elvitegravir Phase III trial against HIV-1 meets primary objective

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that the Phase III clinical trial of its investigational antiretroviral agent elvitegravir, a novel oral integrase inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced patients, met its primary objective.

24 Mar 2011

African delegates call on countries to do more to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Delegates from 15 African countries this week concluded a three-day workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya, examining how countries can improve their efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, VOA News reports.

19 Mar 2011

Nationwide observance raises awareness about HIV/AIDS spread in women

National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide observance that raises awareness and promotes action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, took place on March 10.

17 Mar 2011

UNAIDS, UNDP, WHO release policy brief advising countries on using TRIPS flexibilities to drive down HIV treatment costs

Amid growing concerns over the long-term sustainability of access to affordable HIV/AIDS drugs, UNAIDS, WHO and the U.N. Development Program on Tuesday released a policy brief advising countries on how they can successfully use rules written into the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to lower the cost of and increase access to HIV treatment, Intellectual Property Watch reports.

17 Mar 2011

Research highlights new parameters for HIV study

A research article co-authored by Brenna Anderson, MD, director of Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, was included in the recently published special issue of the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology.

17 Mar 2011

Additional research needed for oral PrEP to treat HIV

The first human studies of an oral drug regimen to prevent HIV infection in high-risk individuals yielded a promising near 50% reduction in HIV incidence, but a number of issues require additional research before oral pre-exposure prophylaxis can be implemented on a large scale, according to an article in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

15 Mar 2011

ACP receives BMY grant for HIV workforce capacity building initiative

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced the awarding of a Positive Charge grant to the American College of Physicians Foundation to support ACP Foundation's HIV workforce capacity building initiative.

15 Mar 2011

Hospital VIHrtual is a safe and effective tool for HIV patients

The Hospital Cl-nic of Barcelona presented today the results of the telemedicine program "Hospital VIHrtual", coordinated by Dr. Felipe Garcia and Dr. Agata Le-n, from the Hospital Cl-nic Service of Infectious Diseases directed by Dr. Josep M - Gatell.

15 Mar 2011

CHF signs agreement with Global Fund to implement HIV/AIDS program in Colombia

CHF International, the Silver Spring-MD based international development and humanitarian assistance organization, announced it signed an agreement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to implement a two-year HIV and AIDS program in Colombia, with the possibility to extend it for another three years.

11 Mar 2011

FDA approves Matrix NDA for Zidovudine Tablets

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Matrix Laboratories Limited has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for its New Drug Application for Zidovudine Tablets, 100 mg.

10 Mar 2011

AHF unveils new national advertising campaign about AIDS drugs

AIDS Healthcare Foundation today unveiled a new national advertising campaign headlined, "There Is No Magic Pill," an advocacy and awareness campaign to educate and prompt discussion among gay men and others regarding Gilead Sciences and its likely plans to seek Food and Drug Administration approval for use of its blockbuster AIDS drug Truvada as a form a 'pre-exposure prophylaxis' to prevent HIV transmission.

10 Mar 2011

Merck to present VICTRELIS phase III study data against HCV at EASL annual meeting

Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced that several new data analyses from Phase III studies of VICTRELIS, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be presented at The International Liver CongressTM / 46th European Association for the Study of the Liver annual meeting.

9 Mar 2011

Senate Democrats release FY11 CR that seeks to preserve foreign aid, State Department funding at FY10 levels

Senate Democrats on Friday introduced a FY11 continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through September, "with a vote on the measure, as well as a House-passed proposal, expected" this week, the Washington Post's "2chambers" blog reports (Sonmez, 3/4).

8 Mar 2011

New clinical trial to assess antiretroviral treatment in HIV-infected individuals based on CD4 counts

A major new clinical trial seeks to determine whether HIV-infected asymptomatic individuals have less risk of developing AIDS or other serious illness if they begin taking antiretrovirals sooner rather than later, based on their level of CD4+ T-cells.

8 Mar 2011