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Cmed Group selected to help PDPs develop new medicines in Third-World Countries

Cmed Group, an innovative clinical trials services and advanced software provider, announced today that it has been selected as one of six preferred providers offering its clinical research expertise to a consortium of 14 global health Product Development Partnerships (PDPs). The PDPs are working to develop and deliver affordable treatments and vaccines that will help improve the lives of the some of the world's most vulnerable people, especially those in developing countries.

20 Apr 2011

Study shows possibility of women living with AIDS to breastfeed with lower risk

In low-income countries, 1.4 million women are living with the Aids virus. If no prevention measures are taken, the risk for future mothers of transmitting HIV to their child in utero, during delivery or when breastfeeding is 35%.

20 Apr 2011

North American legal injection drug site helps decrease overdose deaths, study shows

North America's only authorized facility for injecting illegal drugs has helped cut drug overdose deaths significantly in the Vancouver community where it is located and "should be used as a model in other cities," according to a study published on Monday in the Lancet, Reuters reports (Dowd, 4/18).

20 Apr 2011

Researchers to wind down HIV prevention trial in women after interim results find drug not offering protection from HIV

Researchers on Monday announced they were calling off a trial to test whether taking an oral HIV drug reduces the risk of HIV infection in women after interim analysis of the study showed women taking the medication were no less likely to become infected with HIV than those who were not taking the medicine, the Associated Press reports.

20 Apr 2011

Diagnostic test Xpert MTB/RIF proven fast and effective in low-resource settings

The Lancet published a significant development for TB diagnostics yesterday with concrete and encouraging study outcomes on the effectiveness of the new Xpert MTB/RIF test for TB and rifampicin resistance in realistic health care field conditions. One of the authors, Prof. Mark Nicol of the University of Cape Town (South Africa) who contributed to this study, is an EDCTP Senior Fellow. The article demonstrates that the test can effectively be used in low-resource settings to simplify early and accurate diagnosis of patients. The potential impact is a reduction in the morbidity associated with diagnostic delay, dropout and mistreatment. The article has appeared online on 19 April 2011 and will be published in volume 377 on 30 April 2011.

20 Apr 2011

FHI to stop FEM-PrEP study of HIV prevention among heterosexual women

On the heels of Centers for Disease Control announcement earlier today that an ongoing study of the use of Gilead's top selling AIDS treatment, Truvada, as a possible form of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in women is being abruptly halted because the, "…trial could not demonstrate efficacy," the AIDS Healthcare Foundation renewed its call on Gilead Sciences to slow its fast track pursuit of its application for FDA approval of use of its AIDS drug as a possible form of HIV prevention.

20 Apr 2011

U.N. General Assembly passes resolution urging renewed efforts to fight malaria

Ahead of World Malaria Day on April 25, the U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution urging governments, U.N. agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private foundations to accelerate their efforts and build upon established successes in the fight against the disease, particularly in Africa, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports.

20 Apr 2011

African AIDS drug trial stopped prematurely

One of the studies in three African countries where women were given an AIDS drug to prevent HIV infection is being stopped because the project is not working, researchers said Monday. These women on the trial were taking a daily dose of the drug Truvada or a look-alike placebo pill and had an equal chance of becoming infected. The ones taking Truvada were expected to have had a much lower infection rate.

19 Apr 2011

Chembio initiates FDA Modular PMA process for DPP HIV 1/2 Screening Assay

Chembio Diagnostics, Inc., which develops, manufactures, markets and licenses point-of-care diagnostic tests, reported it recently filed the first module of its Pre-Marketing Approval (PMA) application to the United States Food & Drug Administration for its DPP® HIV 1/2 Screening Assay.

19 Apr 2011

Johnson & Johnson reports net sales of $16.2 billion for first quarter 2011

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $16.2 billion for the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 3.5% as compared to the first quarter of 2010.

19 Apr 2011

Vancouver's supervised injection site reduces overdose mortality rates to 35%

Illicit drug overdose deaths in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside dropped by 35 per cent after the establishment of Insite, North America's first supervised injection facility, according a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

19 Apr 2011

NIH awards U of M's scientist with $10 million grant for HIV research

Reuben Harris, professor in the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences, has been awarded a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to direct a large-scale research effort to study a human antiviral protein with potential for treating HIV and other viral diseases.

19 Apr 2011

Also in global health news: U.N., Libyan government reach deal over aid; USAID monitoring HIV/AIDS in Philippines; WFP warns of Afghanistan food shortages; U.N. appeals for more aid in Cote d'Ivoire, Namibia

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday at a press conference in Hungary announced that the organization had reached an agreement with the Libyan government to provide humanitarian aid in the country's capital city of Tripoli, the Associated Press reports.

19 Apr 2011

CCO continues relationship with IAS for HIV care

Clinical Care Options, a leader in the development of innovative online, print, and live medical education for healthcare professionals, is pleased to announce its continued partnership with the International AIDS Society.

16 Apr 2011

AHF commends U.S. Congress for strong bipartisan commitment to AIDS

AIDS Healthcare Foundation today commended the United States Congress for showing a strong bipartisan commitment to AIDS in passing the fiscal year 2011 budget earlier this afternoon, a budget that despite severe cost-cutting mentality in Washington, included a $48 million overall increase in the $883 million allocated for the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, a network of federal and state funded programs that provide life-saving HIV treatments to low income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals living with HIV/AIDS nationwide.

16 Apr 2011

Family-based HIV prevention interventions needed for juvenile offenders, say BHCRC researchers

More intensive or family-based HIV prevention interventions may be needed to encourage juvenile offenders to use condoms and stop engaging in risky sexual behavior, say researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center.

16 Apr 2011

U.N. report highlights concerns about population-related activities funding

Financial support for population-related activities worldwide has not significantly increased since 2008, according to a report (.pdf) from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the U.N. Commission on Population and Development (CPD), Inter Press Service reports. The CPD is meeting this week.

15 Apr 2011

African genital herpes strains are more infectious than the U.S. virus

Strains of genital herpes in Africa are far more virulent than those in the United States, researchers at Harvard Medical School report, a striking insight into a common disease with important implications for preventing HIV transmission in a region staggered by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

15 Apr 2011

Novartis, Duke sign deal to develop pandemic flu vaccine

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute today announced a collaboration and strategic agreement with Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics to enable the rapid development of a vaccine and accelerate preparedness in case of a pandemic virus threat such as pandemic influenza.

15 Apr 2011

Medicinal applications of fullerenes, filled with radioactive material

Fullerenes have attracted considerable attention in different fields of science since their discovery in 1985. Investigations of physical, chemical and biological properties of fullerenes have yielded promising information. It is inferred that size, hydrophobicity, three-dimensionality and electronic configurations make them an appealing subject in medicinal chemistry. Their unique carbon cage structure coupled with immense scope for derivatization make them a potential therapeutic agent.

13 Apr 2011