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Phase II VICTOR-E1 clinical study results reported

Schering-Plough Corporation today reported long-term data with vicriviroc, its investigational CCR5 receptor antagonist, from an ongoing, open-label extension of the Phase II VICTOR-E1 study in treatment-experienced HIV-infected patients.

15 Sep 2009

Limited health literacy linked with poorer access to health information

People who struggle with poor reading and math skills experience problems understanding instructions from health care providers and adhering to treatment, according to a new research review.

15 Sep 2009

CFAR to host AIDS Vaccine 2010 conferrence

The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (the Enterprise) today announced that the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (CFAR) in Atlanta, Georgia will serve as Local Host of AIDS Vaccine 2010, the largest and most important global scientific conference focused on AIDS vaccine research.

15 Sep 2009

Phase I results of Tobira's TBR-652 CCR5 antagonist for the treatment of HIV

Tobira Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to research and product discovery for the treatment of life-threatening and life-altering infectious diseases, today announced pharmacokinetic data and results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose randomized study of TBR-652 in sixty healthy volunteers.

15 Sep 2009

New critical illness plan from Colonial Life introduced

A new critical illness plan from Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company can help many working Americans who may be one serious medical issue away from financial problems. Even with good health insurance, a serious illness, such as a heart attack or stroke, could leave employees on the hook for huge expenses.

15 Sep 2009

NIMH awards Center for AIDS Intervention Research $11.16 million grant

The Medical College of Wisconsin's Center for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR) received a five-year, $11.16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to continue its HIV prevention research.

15 Sep 2009

BioAlliance announces Phase III results of miconazole Lauriad MBT for treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis

Strativa Pharmaceuticals, the proprietary products division of Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX), today announced that its development partner BioAlliance Pharma SA presented Phase III study results for miconazole Lauriad(R) mucoadhesive buccal tablets (MBT) that demonstrate noninferiority to clotrimazole troches for oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), an opportunistic infection of the mouth and throat.

14 Sep 2009

Emerging Growth Research to manage investor relations programs for Biomagnetics Diagnostics

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a producer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria detection, today announced it has retained Emerging Growth Research, LLP to manage its public relations and investor relations programs. Emerging Growth Research specializes in small market capitalization companies in the technology and biotechnology sectors.

14 Sep 2009

Also in global health news: Polio in Afghanistan; Goosby interview; water shortages in Mexico City; clean water device

Agence France-Presse examines the re-emergence of polio in Afghanistan, which is one of four countries where the disease is endemic. According to AFP, "Health care, or the lack of it, is one of many problems facing Afghanistan, eight years after a war to topple the extremist Taliban regime and the arrival of billions of dollars in international aid." Although UNICEF recently launched a three-day immunization campaign in the country, the "ongoing Taliban insurgency, virulent in the south -- Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces in particular -- has meant many children are not being reached," AFP writes (O'Donnell, 9/14).

14 Sep 2009

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS rights, responsibilities questions

The Washington Post examines how African countries are "grappling with debates over what rights and duties to give those living with [HIV/AIDS] -- a growing segment of the population that remains largely hidden." The newspaper writes: "Across the continent, lawmakers are considering whether to make criminals of those who infect others with HIV, allow bosses to test workers for the virus, punish women who pass it to their babies and give constitutional protections to those with HIV."

14 Sep 2009

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Phase III STARTMRK clinical study on ISENTRESS in comparison to efavirenz

ISENTRESS , an integrase inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc., was studied in comparison to efavirenz in maintaining viral load suppression to undetectable levels (less than 50 copies/mL) and at improving CD4 cell counts in previously untreated (treatment-naïve) HIV-1-infected patients through 96 weeks in a Phase III study called STARTMRK.

14 Sep 2009

National Conference on Latinos and AIDS

To educate healthcare professionals on how to improve the Latino community's access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care, Minority Health Care Communications (MHCC) will hold the National Conference on Latinos and AIDS, September 14-15th, 2009, at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York.

14 Sep 2009

Tobira Therapeutics presents TBR-652 in vitro data for treating HIV at the 49th ICAAC

Tobira Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to research and product discovery for the treatment of life-threatening and life-altering infectious diseases, today announced results from an in vitro study evaluating TBR-652 in combination with lopinavir (LPV), darunavir (DRV), atazanavir (ATV), tenofovir (TDF), etravirine (ETV), and raltegravir (RAL) using the infectious replicative assay deCIPhR.

14 Sep 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation calls on CA Governor to sign Assembly Bill 221 without delay

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today praised the California Legislature for its passage of Assembly Bill 221, which cleared the Assembly on final concurrence (61-0) today and moves on to the Governor’s desk. AB 221 updates and streamlines the training of counselors for rapid HIV testing by exempting persons administering finger stick rapid HIV tests from the requirement for certification as a limited phlebotomy technician (LPT). It is widely expected that Schwarzenegger will sign the bill.

14 Sep 2009

Recent releases: HIV and nutrition; new global health journal; male circumcision; Chagas disease; malaria research methods

"Despite calls from national and international organizations to integrate HIV and nutritional programs, data are lacking on how such programs can be effectively implemented in resource-poor settings, on the optimum content and duration of nutritional support, and on ideal target recipients," write the authors of a Clinical Infectious Diseases review that examines the relationship between HIV, nutritional deficiencies and food insecurity.

14 Sep 2009

Prevention and treatment of pneumonia are critical to reducing child mortality

New World Health Organization data to be published in this week's edition of the Lancet will shed new light on two leading causes of pneumonia, the world's leading killer of children under age 5, both globally and within specific countries.

14 Sep 2009

Ratification of U.N. agency for women could be delayed

Cuba, Egypt, Iran and Sudan "have mounted a last-minute campaign to delay ratification" by the U.N. general assembly of a new agency, "which would have a budget of around $1 billion and consolidate four existing bodies that deal with women's issues," the Guardian reports.

14 Sep 2009

IRIN examines report on varying cost of ARVs for countries with similar socioeconomic status

IRIN examines a recent report (.pdf) that found varying price rates countries pay for antiretrovirals (ARVs) - with "some nations … paying up to three times more for the life-prolonging medicines than others with similar HIV prevalence and income levels."

11 Sep 2009

HIV/AIDS patients in U.S. have no long-term treatment options: ATAC report card

With the estimated 1.2 million people with HIV/AIDS in the United States expected to live close to a normal life span, the majority of pharmaceutical companies are not developing innovative, new long-term treatment options that offer improved efficacy, safety and tolerability when taken for decades, according to a report card on the pharmaceutical industry released today by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition's (ATAC) Drug Development Committee.

11 Sep 2009