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Pioneer in infectious disease medicine shares his perspectives in new podcast series

Beginning this month, the journal Medicine launches a series of podcasts featuring pioneering infectious disease physician John Bartlett, MD. Medicine is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

28 Dec 2011

FDA accepts Gilead's Quad HIV regimen NDA for review

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for the Quad, a complete single-tablet HIV regimen containing elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

26 Dec 2011

Roundup: HIV staff to be cut in Ga.; Abortion news in N.J., Mo.; Wis. Medicaid coverage in limbo

A loss of $3.7 million in federal funds is forcing Georgia to reduce its workforce for HIV prevention. After an inquiry by Georgia Health News, the Department of Public Health this week acknowledged that 20 people in state health districts have been notified they will probably lose their jobs in January, and that an unspecified number of staffers at the department level have received the same notification.

23 Dec 2011

Science names HIV prevention trial as '2011 Breakthrough of the Year'

"The journal Science has chosen the HPTN 052 clinical trial, an international HIV prevention trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)," which found that early treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) reduced the risk of transmission among sero-discordant partners by 96 percent, as the "2011 Breakthrough of the Year," an NIH press release states (12/22).

23 Dec 2011

ARV drugs can prevent transmission of HIV

The finding of a team of researchers - including several members from Johns Hopkins - that HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can actually prevent transmission of the virus from an infected person to his or her uninfected partner has been named "Breakthrough of the Year" for 2011 by the journal Science.

23 Dec 2011

MSF publishes list of top 10 stories of 2011 about access to medicine

This Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) special report highlights the top 10 stories of 2011 regarding access to essential medicines, according to MSF.

23 Dec 2011

Injected meth users at greater risk of attempting suicide

The dire physical and mental health effects of injecting methamphetamine are well known, but there's been little research about suicidal behavior and injecting meth.

23 Dec 2011

PBS NewsHour examines role of religious leaders in Morocco's fight against HIV/AIDS

In this post in PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" blog, journalist Ray Suarez reports on the role of religious leaders in Morocco's battle against HIV/AIDS and stigma.

23 Dec 2011

Congress cuts federal funding for needle exchanges

Media outlets report on several public health issues, including a renewed funding ban on needle exchanges and a call for recalling a stent system.

23 Dec 2011

JCV, CDC announce publication of 'Update on HIV Diagnostic Testing Algorithms'

Elsevier's Journal of Clinical Virology in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the publication of a special supplement entitled 'Update on HIV Diagnostic Testing Algorithms'.

23 Dec 2011

Russia will not use HIV spending to fund needle exchange, methadone therapy, Reuters reports

Though Russia is doubling its budget for HIV in 2012 over 2010 levels, "no money will go to such internationally recognized efforts as needle exchanges" and methadone replacement therapy, Reuters reports.

23 Dec 2011

Science journal names UNC HIV prevention study as 2011 Breakthrough of the Year

The HIV Prevention Trials Network 052 study, led by Myron S. Cohen, MD of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year by the journal Science.

23 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 22, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including articles on the Capitol Hill stalemate that threatens to cut Medicare payments to doctors and government efforts to keep details of a research experiment on bird flu secret.

22 Dec 2011

Researchers map every apparent physical interaction of HIV virus with human cells

In perhaps the most comprehensive survey of the inner workings of HIV, an international team of scientists led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has mapped every apparent physical interaction the virus makes with components of the human cells it infects—work that may reveal new ways to design future HIV/AIDS drugs.

22 Dec 2011

Report outlines steps for transition of PEPFAR service delivery to S. African government

The Center for Strategic & International Studies' "Smart Global Health" blog highlights a report called "Terra Nova: How to Achieve a Successful PEPFAR Transition in South Africa," writing, "The United States and South Africa are negotiating a complex, multi-year handoff that will shift financial and managerial responsibilities for HIV/AIDS to the South African government and move the United States away from direct service delivery and into technical assistance.

22 Dec 2011

Researchers evaluate Clade C HIV envelope protein in Phase I trial

In the first clinical trial of an injectable vaccine containing trimeric HIV envelope protein (gp140) relevant to the predominant strain of HIV in Africa, researchers from four UK academic centers (St George's University London, Imperial College, Hull York Medical School (HYMS; University of York) and the Medical Research Council Clinical Trial Unit) and from the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) have come together to evaluate whether the vaccine is safe for use in human volunteers.

22 Dec 2011

FDA approves Merck's Isentress to treat HIV-1 infection in children, adolescents

Isentress (raltegravir) was approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with other antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV-1 infection for children and adolescents ages 2-18.

22 Dec 2011

ACTF, Merck announce new HIV initiatives

Today, Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and the ADAP Crisis Task Force (ACTF) announced a number of new initiatives to help struggling state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) continue to provide access to medicines to people living with HIV.

22 Dec 2011

'Money well spent today means less money spent tomorrow' on HIV/AIDS

This Lancet Infectious Diseases editorial responds to the Global HIV/AIDS Response 2011 progress report (.pdf) launched by WHO, UNICEF, and UNAIDS on November 30, writing that the report "contains much good news on treatment and prevention, but the gains made by past efforts are jeopardized by the ongoing global financial crisis and dwindling funds."

21 Dec 2011

CNN examines HIV clinic in Myanmar

CNN examines an HIV clinic in Myanmar, where the disease "is little understood" and "many of the patients here have nowhere else to go after being ostracized by their families."

21 Dec 2011