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Today's OpEds: U.S. and AIDS; Mass. example on health reform?; Unions and health costs

George W. Bush made an impressive commitment to the international fight against AIDS when he formed the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program. … Thanks to these efforts — and similar initiatives ... the number of African patients with access to AIDS drugs jumped tenfold from 2003 to 2008. Since 2004, the AIDS-related mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa has dropped 18 percent. Yet President Obama added only $366 million to the program this year — well below the $1 billion per year he promised to add when he was on the campaign trail (Desmond Tutu, 7/20).

22 Jul 2010

NIH awards KGI $3.6M grant to develop diagnostic assays and devices for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) Director of Research Angelika Niemz has been awarded a four-year, $3.6 million collaborative research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

21 Jul 2010

Shionogi-ViiV Healthcare to advance '572 inhibitor into Phase III clinical trials

Shionogi-ViiV Healthcare LLC today announced that it will be progressing its once-daily, unboosted investigational integrase inhibitor, S/GSK1349572 ('572) into Phase III clinical trials. '572 will be the only once-daily, unboosted integrase inhibitor in Phase III clinical development.

21 Jul 2010

New insights on early pathogenic events, strategies for preventing HIV infection

In a plenary lecture at the 18th International AIDS conference in Vienna, Austria, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., will present new insights on the early and complex pathogenic events that occur rapidly-within hours to days-following sexual exposure to HIV.

21 Jul 2010

NovaBay reports positive results from NVC-422 Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial for impetigo

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its lead product candidate was safe and efficacious against the highly contagious skin infection impetigo in a Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial. This dose-ranging study showed that the drug cleared impetigo infections, including those in the trial caused by a drug-resistant strain of bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Impetigo afflicts approximately 1 million people, primarily infants and children, in the United States annually.

21 Jul 2010

Report: Older gay, bisexual men enrolled in long-term study of HIV used illicit drugs infrequently

Most older gay and bisexual men enrolled in a long-term study of HIV used recreational drugs infrequently over a 10-year period, report University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers at the XVIII International AIDS Conference.

21 Jul 2010

Health Canada grants Osiris Priority Review for Prochymal NDS

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate of Health Canada has completed its initial evaluation and accepted for full review the company's New Drug Submission (NDS) of Prochymal (remestemcel-L), an adult stem cell therapy for the treatment of graft vs. host disease (GvHD). Based on a separate review of summary clinical data, Health Canada has notified Osiris that the application has been granted Priority Review, shortening the examination period from 300 to 180 days.

21 Jul 2010

HIV and Human Rights March to prevent new infections, provide treatment for people with HIV

The call for human rights as a fundamental component of efforts to prevent new infections and provide treatment for people living with HIV pervaded the XVIII International AIDS Conference today as delegates and local residents prepared for the HIV and Human Rights March through the streets of Vienna this evening. Conference participants are giving voice to the conference theme of Rights Here, Right Now through a number of plenary presentations, sessions, and Global Village and Youth Programme activities.

21 Jul 2010

NACI updates, strengthens statement related to the use of rotavirus vaccines in Canada

This week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization updated and strengthened its statement related to the use of rotavirus vaccines in Canada. Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under the age of three. The NACI statement now includes Grade A recommendations (good evidence to recommend immunization) for healthy and preterm infants.

21 Jul 2010

AMP particpates at FDA's public meeting on oversight of laboratory developed tests

The Association for Molecular Pathology participated in the Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health public meeting on the oversight of laboratory developed tests. Dr. Karen Mann, President of AMP, served on the second panel of the meeting titled, Clinical Laboratory Challenges. Additionally, Dr. Elaine Lyon, Chair of the AMP Professional Relations Committee, presented public comments. "AMP believes that LDTs are an essential and central component of medical practice," said Dr. Lyon, "Without LDTs, the practice of medicine that we know today would be severely reduced in scope."

21 Jul 2010

AiCuris presents preclinical data on AIC246 anti-HCMV drug at International Herpesvirus Workshop

AiCuris announced today publication of preclinical data on AIC246, at the International Herpesvirus Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA from 24 – 29 July 2010. AIC246 is a novel anti-HCMV drug currently in clinical phase 2 testing.

21 Jul 2010

ATLIS 2010 shows gap in patient-physician dialogue that may negatively impact patients' quality of life

Results from the landmark AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey, a multi-country survey of more than 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, revealed a significant gap in patient-physician dialogue about critical health-related conditions that may negatively impact patients' overall long-term health, quality of life, and treatment outcomes.

21 Jul 2010

Experts urge global leaders to commit $20 billion to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Scientists, practitioners and advocates from around the world today made a united call for global leaders to commit at least $US20 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at its upcoming replenishment meeting in October. Because the level of replenishment committed at the meeting will determine the Global Fund's grant levels for 2011-2013, the meeting is widely viewed as the critical next step towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

21 Jul 2010

WHO, UNAIDS and PSI call for scale up of male circumcision in Eastern, Southern Africa

The U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby and the World Health Organization's Director of HIV, TB, and Malaria, Africa Regional Office, Dr. David Okello, joined PSI (Population Services International) today in calling for greater efforts to rapidly and efficiently scale up male circumcision service delivery in Eastern and Southern Africa.

21 Jul 2010

Early HIV treatment can save more children's lives

Efforts worldwide on access to treatment for children with HIV have reached a new milestone, with 355 000 children receiving life-saving HIV treatment at the end of 2009, compared to 276 000 at the end of 2008; but many more lives could be saved if more infants started on medication earlier according to new recommendations from WHO.

21 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010: Study finds microbicide containing HIV drug lowers infection risk in women by 39%

A microbicide gel containing Gilead's HIV drug tenofovir used by women before and after sex has been shown to reduce their risk of HIV infection by nearly 40%, according to a study unveiled at the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, Reuters reports

21 Jul 2010

Depressive symptoms in patients with HCV infection overlooked

Researchers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland (the NORDynamIC project group) have observed that depressive symptoms in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are commonly overlooked in routine clinical interviews, and that treatment-induced depression compromises the outcome of HCV therapy. A second U.S. study found that patients with chronic infection had lower (work) productivity and incurred higher medical benefit costs than those without HCV.

21 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010: Number of HIV positive patients on arvs grew to 5.2m in 2009 with 10m still in need, who says

"The number of HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral drugs [ARVs] for their infections jumped by more than a quarter in 2009, growing from 4 million to 5.2 million, the World Health Organization said Monday at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna," the Los Angeles Times reports (7/19).

21 Jul 2010

University of Texas scientist creates promising HIV vaccine candidate

The Abzyme Research Foundation announces today that Dr. Sudhir Paul, a scientist at University of Texas Houston Medical School, has identified an important immunological deficiency in HIV-infected patients and has created a promising HIV vaccine candidate that rectifies the deficiency. The discoveries were presented on July 19th and 20th, 2010 at the XVII International AIDS Society Conference in Vienna, Austria.

21 Jul 2010

Scientists find way to block androgens, halt tumor progression in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer advances when tumors become resistant to hormone therapy, which is the standard treatment for patients, and begin producing their own androgens. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that blocking one of the enzymatic steps that allow the tumor to produce androgens could be the key in halting a tumor's growth.

21 Jul 2010

Disease/Infection News

Today's OpEds: U.S. and AIDS; Mass. example on health reform?; Unions and health costs

NIH awards KGI $3.6M grant to develop diagnostic assays and devices for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Shionogi-ViiV Healthcare to advance '572 inhibitor into Phase III clinical trials

New insights on early pathogenic events, strategies for preventing HIV infection

NovaBay reports positive results from NVC-422 Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial for impetigo

Report: Older gay, bisexual men enrolled in long-term study of HIV used illicit drugs infrequently

Health Canada grants Osiris Priority Review for Prochymal NDS

HIV and Human Rights March to prevent new infections, provide treatment for people with HIV

NACI updates, strengthens statement related to the use of rotavirus vaccines in Canada

AMP particpates at FDA's public meeting on oversight of laboratory developed tests

AiCuris presents preclinical data on AIC246 anti-HCMV drug at International Herpesvirus Workshop

ATLIS 2010 shows gap in patient-physician dialogue that may negatively impact patients' quality of life

Experts urge global leaders to commit $20 billion to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

WHO, UNAIDS and PSI call for scale up of male circumcision in Eastern, Southern Africa

Early HIV treatment can save more children's lives

AIDS 2010: Study finds microbicide containing HIV drug lowers infection risk in women by 39%

Depressive symptoms in patients with HCV infection overlooked

AIDS 2010: Number of HIV positive patients on arvs grew to 5.2m in 2009 with 10m still in need, who says

University of Texas scientist creates promising HIV vaccine candidate

Scientists find way to block androgens, halt tumor progression in prostate cancer

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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