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Opinions: Obama's Global Fund pledge; harm reduction in Iran; HIV prevention; African development

There are some encouraging signs in the epic battle against AIDS and HIV infections. But those bright spots dim considerably in the face of the fact that about 7,100 people a day become infected.

30 Nov 2010

HIV testing rates rise among Americans

A U.S. government report released Tuesday says that a record number of Americans are getting tested for HIV but more than 200,000 Americans are infected and are unaware of their status. In 2009 82.9 million adults age 18 to 64 had been tested for HIV. This is 11.4 million more than the total in 2006. Also until 2009 45 percent of adults had been tested at least once in their lives, up from 40 percent four years ago. However 55 percent of adults, and 28.3 percent of adults at risk for HIV, have never been tested, according to the report.

30 Nov 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation to participate in Members Project

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to be selected as a candidate charity in Members Project, a partnership between American Express and TakePart.

30 Nov 2010

HP, Clinton Health Access Initiative collaborate to improve HIV testing and treatment of infants in Kenya

HP today announced an alliance with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) that will provide structural and systemic improvements in testing and treating more than 120,000 infants exposed to HIV in Kenya each year.

30 Nov 2010

GeoVax supports Bionor's Phase 2b trial of therapeutic HIV/AIDS vaccine

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing human vaccines for HIV/AIDS (HIV-1, Human Immunodeficiency Virus), announced it was pleased to learn of the partial success observed in the recently completed Phase 2b trial of a therapeutic HIV/AIDS vaccine produced by Bionor Immuno AS of Oslo, Norway.

30 Nov 2010

International Harm Reduction Conference to focus on HIV/AIDS epidemic

Injecting drug use and growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle East and North Africa region to be focus of the International Harm Reduction conference taking place in Beirut, Lebanon April 3-7 2011

30 Nov 2010

Washington Post examines development experts' reactions to draft QDDR

The Washington Post examines development experts' "mixed reactions" to the recent roll out of the State Department's draft Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), which would give USAID "a bigger role in running President [Barack] Obama's two main foreign aid initiatives - health and agriculture."

30 Nov 2010

To reduce spread of HIV/AIDS, IFRC calls for more focus on IDU programs

Ahead of World AIDS Day, the International Federation of the Red Cross on Friday released a report (.pdf) calling for governments around the world to do more to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among populations of injecting drug users (IDUs), the Associated Press reports (Heilprin, 11/25).

30 Nov 2010

Merck announces initial results from ISENTRESS Phase III study in HIV-1

Merck today reported initial results from the Phase III study investigating the efficacy and safety of a treatment regimen including ISENTRESS® (raltegravir) Tablets once daily in treatment-naïve adult patients infected with HIV-1. ISENTRESS is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adults.

29 Nov 2010

Hemispherx requests FDA time extension for Ampligen NDA data resubmission

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., announced that the Company has requested an extension of time in which to resubmit data to its NDA for Ampligen®, an experimental therapeutic, to treat CFS.

29 Nov 2010

USPTO awards Immunitor key patent for viral vaccine

Immune Network Ltd., advises that its potential acquisition, Immunitor USA Inc., has been issued a key patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

29 Nov 2010

Golden Valley acquires Digit-Pro and Cut Stop

Golden Valley Development, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has recently completed the acquisition of two new companies, each having a licensing agreement to manufacture and market a new patented technology.

29 Nov 2010

Researchers synthesize iron compounds that inhibit growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A team of researchers from Spain and Latin America have synthesized two iron compounds that inhibit the in vitro growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Due their low level of toxicity in mammel cells, the compounds could be used in the future as therapeutic agents and hospital disinfectants.

26 Nov 2010

Looking back and moving forward: 100 years of Pneumococcal vaccination

"Since the introduction of smallpox vaccination by Sir Edward Jenner in 1796, it took 184 years until the WHO could declare the world free of smallpox. How long will it take to eliminate pneumococcus from the world?"

25 Nov 2010

WHO/UN-HABITAT report documents health disparities facing women in developing country urban areas

Womens News Network/Guardian Development Network examines a WHO/United Nations Human Settlements Programme report released last week that highlighted the health disparities affecting populations living in urban areas.

25 Nov 2010

How HIV kills CD4 T cells

Researchers appear to have an explanation for a longstanding question in HIV biology: how it is that the virus kills so many CD4 T cells, despite the fact that most of them appear to be "bystander" cells that are themselves not productively infected. That loss of CD4 T cells marks the progression from HIV infection to full-blown AIDS, explain the researchers who report their findings in studies of human tonsils and spleens in the November 24th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication.

25 Nov 2010

Media outlets continue to follow major HIV/AIDS developments this week

Media outlets continued to track the major developments in HIV/AIDS this week, including: prevention research using an antiretroviral; new UNAIDS estimates of HIV/AIDS around the world; and Pope Benedict XVI's stance on condoms for HIV prevention.

25 Nov 2010

New drug research, incidence rates and Pope's comments brighten AIDS outlook

The Associated Press: "In the nearly 30 years the AIDS epidemic has raged, there has never been a more hopeful day than this. Three striking developments took place Tuesday: U.N. officials said new HIV cases are dropping dramatically worldwide. A study showed that a daily pill already on pharmacy shelves could help prevent new infections in gay men. And the pope opened the way for the use of condoms to prevent AIDS" (Marchione, 11/23).

25 Nov 2010

Scientists reveal long-standing mystery about HIV infection

Scientists at Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology have solved a long-standing mystery about HIV infection-namely how HIV promotes the death of CD4 T cells.

25 Nov 2010

Opinions: The Pope and condoms; fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa; malaria eradication or control; health care workers; foreign aid in Haiti

Reflecting on Pope Benedict XVI's recent statements regarding the use of condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV, Michael Gerson writes in a Washington Post column.

24 Nov 2010