HIV / AIDS

Bulgaria To Press Charges Against Libyan Police Officers In HIV Infection Case

2007-05-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

A Bulgarian senior prosecutor on Wednesday said the country within four months will bring charges against 11 Libyan police officers for allegedly torturing five Bulgarian nurses into confessing to allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/31). The five nurses and a Palestinian doctor in May 2004 were sentenced to death by firing squad for allegedly infecting 426 children through contaminated blood products at Al Fateh Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya. They also were ordered to pay a total of $1 million to the families of the HIV-positive children. The Libyan Supreme Court in December 2005 overturned the medical workers' convictions and ordered a retrial in a lower court. A court in Tripoli, Libya, last month convicted the health workers and sentenced them to death. The health workers say they are innocent of the charges, claiming that they were forced to confess and that they were tortured by Libyan officials during interrogations. The European Parliament on Jan. 18 in a resolution called on European Union member states to review their trade relations with Libya and to urge the country to release the medical workers (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). A Libyan court in June 2005 acquitted nine police officers who had been charged with torturing the medical workers and forcing them to confess (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/9/05). Sofia, Bulgaria, prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov said the charges would allow him to begin a judicial investigation, which could lead to a trial. "After completing the necessary police investigation, we believe there is enough evidence proving a crime," Kokinov said. Othman al-Bizanti, a Libyan lawyer representing the five nurses, on Monday said that the nurses have been accused of slandering the police officers with the torture claims and that they will be questioned on Feb. 11. Bulgarian chief prosecutor Boris Velchev said the slander charges are "an obscenity," adding, "The evidence that we have points out that the nurses were indeed tortured. Nobody in Bulgaria has any doubts about that." Trayan Markovski, coordinator of the nurses' Bulgarian defense team, said the questioning on the slander charges is a "good opportunity for the truth to be heard in Libya" (Simeonova, AFP/France 24, 1/30).

Italy's Prime Minister Discusses Medical Workers Release With Gaddafi
In related news, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Monday during an African Union summit in Ethiopia met with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to discuss the release of the six medical workers, Reuters reports. Prodi said he approached Gaddafi in a "very heartfelt way because this is a problem that has been going on for eight years." Prodi added that Gaddafi said that there still are "problems of reparations and compensation" to the families of the HIV-positive children but that "he would reflect on what [Prodi] told him and [they] would talk about it again" (Reuters, 1/30). Libya earlier this week proposed a plan to release the medical workers, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi -- the son of Muammar Gaddafi and head of Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations -- said in a statement to a Bulgarian newspaper. "We have proposed a road map with solutions (satisfying) all parties: the parents, the Libyan government, the Bulgarian side, the E.U.," Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said. He added that the plan calls for "substantial compensation for the families of those affected" and the release of Libyan officer Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who is in a Scottish jail for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. According to Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, he has discussed the proposal with the foreign ministers of Germany and France (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). The U.S. on Tuesday responded to Seif al-Islam Gaddafi's announcement. Sean McCormack, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said, "If, in fact, the Libyans do act on what this gentleman has said, certainly that would be welcome ... news on many, many fronts" (AFP/Yahoo News, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Thai Health Ministry Takes 'Bold Step' In Breaking Patent, Issuing Compulsory License For Antiretroviral Kaletra, Editorial Says

2007-05-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health is "taking a bold step" in ensuring that the country "takes full advantage" of the World Trade Organization's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement by breaking the patent on Abbott Laboratories' antiretroviral drug Kaletra, a Bangkok Post editorial says (Bangkok Post, 1/31). The health ministry on Monday said that it has broken a patent on Kaletra by issuing a compulsory license to produce a lower-cost version of the drug. According to Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla, the compulsory license was signed into law and took effect on Friday. WTO regulations allow governments to declare a "national emergency" and issue compulsory licenses without consulting the foreign patent owner. Thailand, which has 580,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, has won international recognition for its quick launch of a national drug program that treats more than 82,000 HIV-positive people. However, the government's commitment to providing universal access to care is facing increasingly high drug costs. The compulsory license could save the country as much as $24 million annually (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). The editorial "applaud[s] the government for using all legal methods possible to ensure Thai patients get the cheapest and best drugs available." However, the editorial says that the government also "should be careful not to unnecessarily further push away foreign investment," adding that even though the government is "not legally required to negotiate with drug companies before issuing a compulsory license doesn't mean it should not do so." The Thai government should "insist on procuring quality drugs" from World Health Organization-approved factories, especially for HIV/AIDS medications, according to the editorial. Although Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organization's factories do not meet WHO standards, Thai officials say their generic antiretrovirals are of high quality, the editorial says, adding that it "would be nice to remove the cloud of suspicion." According to the editorial, Thailand should import generic antiretrovirals from India until a new GPO facility that meets WHO standards is complete. This would allow the government to procure antiretrovirals with funds from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which "refuses to finance Thai-produced drugs because they don't meet international standards," the editorial says. According to the editorial, the money the government saves by using drugs produced in India "could be used to expand patient education." The editorial adds that "[m]uch of the resistance to Thai generic HIV/AIDS drugs is attributed to patients who misunderstand how to take the drugs" and that there is little point in "expanding drug coverage if the drugs will prove ineffective due to incorrect usage" (Bangkok Post, 1/31).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

House Passes $463B Spending Bill That Would Allocate $1.3B Increase To Fund International HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Programs

2007-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

The House on Wednesday approved 286-140 a $463 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year 2007 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs, the Washington Post reports (Kane, Washington Post, 2/1). The resolution would bring the total for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to $4.5 billion. PEPFAR is a five-year, $15 billion program that directs funding for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria primarily to 15 focus countries and provides funding to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The $4.5 billion for PEPFAR includes $3.2 billion for the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative, $712 million for USAID's Child Survival and Health Program, and $494 million for CDC and HHS global HIV/AIDS activities, according to a House Appropriations Committee summary. Of these amounts, $724 million would be allocated for the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund, with $625 million coming from the State Department and USAID, and $99 million from HHS. In addition, $248 million would be allocated to expand programs under the President's Malaria Initiative, an increase of $149 million. The resolution also allocates an additional $75.8 million in funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides care and services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., to bring its funding to $1.2 billion (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). "With the increase ... the U.S. is much better placed to go to other countries and urge them to increase their contributions" to the Global Fund, the Global AIDS Alliance said. According to GAA, there were 4.3 million new HIV/AIDS cases worldwide last year, and outbreaks of malaria and drug-resistant TB continued (Cowan, Reuters, 1/31). "Given the incredibly difficult budget situation, the U.S. Congress made a bold decision to help those affected by AIDS, TB and malaria around the world," Natasha Bilimoria, executive director of Friends of the Global Fight, said (Friends of the Global Fight release, 1/31). "What House and Senate leadership have proposed on HIV/AIDS is nothing short of heroic," Pamela Barnes, president and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, said, adding, "We were facing a nightmare situation where treatment for hundreds of thousands of people was seriously threatened" (EGPAF release, 1/31). The Senate must pass the continuing resolution by Feb. 15 to prevent a "partial government shutdown," the Post reports. The White House has indicated that President Bush will sign the measure if it is approved (Washington Post, 2/1).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Microbicide Trials Halted In Africa, India Because Of Possible Increased Risk Of HIV Transmission

2007-05-07T08:05:00.001-07:00

Arlington, Va.-based Conrad on Wednesday announced that it has halted Phase III trials of the microbicide Ushercell, also known as cellulose sulfate, in Africa and India after an independent scientific committee during a routine check found an increased risk of HIV transmission among women who used cellulose sulfate compared with women who used a placebo gel, the New York Times reports (Altman, New York Times, 2/1). Microbicides include a range of products -- such as gels, films and sponges -- that could help prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other infections (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/13/06). According to the Wall Street Journal, the trials involved about 1,300 women in Benin, India, South Africa and Uganda. Thirty-five women in both the cellulose sulfate and placebo groups became HIV-positive during the trial, the Journal reports. Although a breakdown of incidence rates for each group is not available, there were more new cases in the cellulose sulfate group, the Journal reports (Chase, Wall Street Journal, 2/1). Final numbers are expected in March, according to a Conrad spokesperson. A separate study of Ushercell involving 1,700 participants in Nigeria and conducted by Triangle Park, N.C.-based Family Health International also was halted in response to the findings of the Conrad study. According to the Times, the FHI study had found neither an increased risk of HIV transmission nor a benefit in preventing transmission of the virus. Both the Conrad and FHI studies were funded with $20 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID (New York Times, 2/1). According to the Journal, it is still unknown if researchers will be able to develop a "chemical that is tough enough to repel or kill HIV, yet gentle enough to spare the female genital tract from corrosive chemical effects that have the effect of favoring infection." However, the Journal reports that it is "premature to declare defeat" with the World Health Organization and UNAIDS saying that there are three other Phase III microbicide trials currently underway. The Population Council is conducting a study of Carraguard in South Africa, with results expected by the end of the year. The U.K. Medical Research Council is conducting a study of PRO 2000 in South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, with results expected by 2009. In addition, NIH is conducting a study of PRO 2000 used in combination with BufferGel in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with results expected in 2008 (Wall Street Journal, 2/1).

Reaction
According to researchers, the findings are surprising because 11 smaller trials involving more than 500 women conducted since 1999 have found that cellulose sulfate is safe and effective against HIV transmission in laboratory tests (New York Times, 2/1). "This development saddens everyone," Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides, said, adding, "We cannot let it paralyze us. Globally, 17.7 women are living with HIV, and thousands more are infected every day. Prevention is the only way out of this epidemic." Nick Hellmann, interim director of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis at the Gates Foundation, called the results a "disappointment" but said that drug development is a "long, tortuous road." He added that "we have to proceed, stay the course and learn more lessons about what is required for the optimum microbicide product" (Wall Street Journal, 2/1). Lori Heise, director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides, said that "we wish the results had been different, but learning what doesn't work can be just as important to progress as learning what does work." Mitchell Warren, director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, said, "Each trial result is a puzzle piece, and together they make up the complex picture that will show us how to develop successful new HIV prevention tools" (Global Campaign for Microbicides release, 1/31). Pedro Cahn, president of the International AIDS Society, said, "While extremely disappointing, this setback is also an opportunity to learn why some women who used Ushercell were found to be at increased risk of HIV infection. This will strengthen future microbicide research and increase our overall knowledge of how such compounds work" (IAS release, 2/1).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Red Cross Launches Appeal For $50M To Expand HIV/AIDS Programs In Southern Africa

2007-05-07T07:06:00.001-07:00

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Tuesday launched an appeal for almost $50 million to expand HIV/AIDS programs in Southern Africa, VOA News reports (Schlein, VOA News, 1/30). The funds will be allocated to initiatives that are part of a five-year HIV/AIDS control plan launched in 10 Southern African countries in November 2006, according to an IFRC release (IFRC release, 1/30). The plan is part of the new International Federation Global HIV and AIDS Alliance, which seeks to prevent new HIV cases and bolster treatment and support. The five-year initiative will cover Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Francoise Le Goff, IFRC's chief representative in the region, said. She added that the program aims to reach 50 million people, as well as provide services to more than 250,000 HIV-positive people and 460,000 children who have lost at least one parent to AIDS-related illnesses (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/2/06). "HIV has destroyed the very fabric of communities in many sub-Saharan countries and is on the increase across Asia and Eastern Europe," Mukesh Kapila, IFRC special representative for HIV/AIDS, said, adding, "We must not let the virus do to Asia, or any other continent, what it has done in sub-Saharan Africa. That would be unforgivable." IFRC in 2007 plans to increase HIV/AIDS services in Southern Africa and to increase efforts to combat the disease in Asia and Eastern Europe, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 1/30). The $50 million for Southern Africa is part of IFRC's call for $286 million to fund its work in 2007, especially in the areas of climate change and HIV/AIDS (VOA News, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Medical Services International Moves Into Additional Countries In Africa

2007-04-16T17:08:00.001-07:00

Medical Services International Inc (OTC: MSITF) wishes to announce that it has been approached by distributors in an additional 5 countries in Africa to start supplying the VScan HIV and TB rapid test kits. Currently it has been reported that the test kits being supplied to these countries are very inaccurate (less than 80% accuracy when compared to conventional tests). Inaccurate kits are worse than no kits as these kits miss HIV positive people, giving a false sense of security, therefore increasing the spread of HIV. The distributors have heard about the continued accuracy of the VScan HIV test kits and have been given copies of the test data from regulatory bodies in other countries showing the accuracy of the VScan HIV test kits.

The distributors have indicated that this could result in the purchase of up to an additional 2,000,000 VScan test kits per year. The Company believes that by the end of 2007, it will be the largest supplier of HIV, TB, Dengue Fever and Malaria rapid test kits in the world.

About VScan

The VScan rapid test kit is a single use, disposable, accurate, cost effective, easy to use test for the screening of HIV 1&2, Hepatitis B&C, Tuberculosis (TB), Dengue Fever, West Nile, Syphilis, Malaria and Prostate cancer. The kits cannot be sold in Canada.

Medical Services International Inc trades in the United States on the NQB Pinksheets under the symbol "MSITF". For further information go to http://www.medicalservicesintl.com or http://www.minerva-biotech.com.

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause results to differ materially. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include but are not limited to new economic conditions, risk in product development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand, level of competition and other factors described in Company reports an other filings with regulatory bodies.

Medical Services International Inc
http://www.medicalservicesintl.com

USP Publishes Standards For Medications For Neglected Diseases

2007-04-16T16:28:00.001-07:00

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has released free documentary standards for medicines used outside the United States to treat neglected infectious diseases. The standards are available on USP's Web site at http://www.usp.org/internationalStandards.

"Public standards for such medicines are urgently needed to help ensure that patients in all parts of the world have access to good quality medications," said Roger L. Williams, M.D., USP executive vice president and CEO. "These international standards will make it easier for healthcare organizations in countries without sufficient regulatory and pharmacopeial resources of their own to ensure the quality and purity of medications."

The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion people -- one sixth of the world's population -- suffer from neglected tropical diseases. Widespread counterfeiting and distribution of sub-standard drugs has worsened this situation.

The initial two drugs included in the International Standards program are used in the treatment of HIV-AIDS: Abacavir Sulfate, and Efavirenz. These monographs are posted in draft form, with a 90-day period for public comment that ends on April 30, 2007. Instructions for submitting comments are at http://www.usp.org/internationalStandards/. Monographs for drugs used to treat malaria will be added shortly as part of the ongoing program.

USP's standards are widely recognized internationally as authoritative, science-based, and credible. They are developed through a process that is transparent and open to public comment. As the world's only private pharmacopeia, USP has the unique ability to work across borders, giving it the ability to set voluntary standards for medicines used outside the United States.

The worldwide public health benefits of the International Standards initiative include:

-- Supporting the effort to provide quality drugs to patients with the greatest need;

-- Helping ensure that medicines for neglected infectious diseases in international commerce meet a high standard of quality;

-- Ensuring the availability of science-based public standards that help prevent counterfeit, sub-standard, or adulterated medicines; and

-- Assisting foreign regulatory bodies, customs officials, purchasing agents, and others by providing information for testing the quality of medicines within a country or in international commerce.

For more information on USP's international standards, visit http://www.usp.org/internationalStandards/.

USP -- Advancing Public Health Since 1820

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, standards-setting organization that advances public health and improves patient safety by ensuring good pharmaceutical care. USP standards, which are recognized worldwide, are developed through a unique process of public involvement by volunteers representing pharmacy, medicine, and other healthcare professions, as well as science, academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry, and consumer organizations. For more information about USP and its standards-setting activities, visit http://www.usp.org/aboutUSP/media.

United States Pharmacopeia
http://www.usp.org/internationalStandards/

Thai Health Minister To Break Patents, Issue Compulsory Licenses For Antiretroviral, Heart Disease Drugs

2007-04-16T15:08:00.001-07:00

Thai Public Health Minister Mongkol Songkhla plans to break patents on an antiretroviral drug and a drug for heart disease by issuing compulsory licenses to produce lower-cost versions, Ministry of Public Health spokesperson Suphan Srithamma announced on Thursday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/25). Mongkol declined to name the two drugs until the ministry officially announces the compulsory licensing on Monday, Thailand's Nation reports (Khwankom, Nation, 1/26). World Trade Organization regulations allow governments to declare a "national emergency" and issue compulsory licenses without consulting the foreign patent owner. Thailand, which has 580,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, has won international recognition for its quick launch of a national drug program that treats more than 82,000 HIV-positive people. However, the government's commitment to providing universal access to care is facing increasingly high drug costs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/1/06). "We have to do this because we have so many [HIV/AIDS] patients to treat with so little budget," Mongkol said, adding, "We can't watch our people die and their patents have been here for so long" (Wong-Anan, Reuters, 1/25). He added that compulsory licensing "is legitimate domestically and internationally, and Thailand is not the first" country to do it (Nation, 1/26). Teera Chakajnarodom, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association, said the Thai government is using an overly broad definition of an emergency. "The law allows such actions with pharmaceutical products only in cases of extreme national emergencies, or during wartime, and only after negotiation with the companies concerned," Teera said, adding, "It is a provision in the law that has to be used judiciously and with extreme caution if one is not to undermine the confidence of the investment community" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/25). Paul Cawthorne, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Thailand, said compulsory licensing is a "perfectly legal method for [the government] to ensure access to essential drugs for Thai people" (Reuters, 1/25).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Violence Against Women Fueling Spread Of HIV Worldwide, Undermining Prevention Efforts, Advocates Say

2007-04-16T14:28:00.001-07:00

Violence against women worldwide is fueling the spread of HIV in the population, and unwillingness among some governments to acknowledge the issue will continue to undermine prevention and education efforts, advocates said this week at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, Inter Press Service reports. "Violence is largely a cause of HIV infection among many women; violence in the homes and in the streets, violence everywhere," Ludfine Anyango, the national HIV/AIDS coordinator at Action Kenya-International, said. Anyango also discussed women's inability to negotiate condom use with their partners, which puts them at an increased risk of HIV transmission. "Many cannot ask their husbands to use a condom because, in addition to being thought as unfaithful, they fear being beaten," Anyango said, adding, "The woman then has no choice but to continue having unprotected sex with her spouse." Violence against commercial sex workers also is an issue, according to Ros Sokunthy of the Cambodia-based Womyn's Agenda for Change, which promotes the rights of women and female sex workers. "A sex worker negotiates with one man," Sokunthy said, adding, "When she gets to the venue she finds more than one man, and they all want to have sex with her. When she refuses, she is beaten or raped." In addition, WSF participants discussed how some husbands beat their wives if they discover that they visited HIV/AIDS voluntary testing and counseling centers. "This fear discourages many women from knowing their HIV status and thus continue having unprotected sex with their spouses," Mary Watiti -- a counselor at a testing clinic in Kibera, Kenya -- said. According to Inter Press Service, these issues have renewed calls for laws to address all forms of violence against women, as well as implementation of laws in countries where such legislation exists. Male involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS also is important, advocates said. According to experts, men seem to fear HIV/AIDS stigma more than women do and, as a result, avoid HIV testing clinics. "As long as our men are not part of the war, then we should forget about ending HIV/AIDS infection and the violence that comes with it," Lilian Musang'u, a WSF participant from Malawi, said (Mulama, Inter Press Service, 1/24).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

DANIDA, UNFPA, Radio Station Launch Program In Vietnam To Provide Youth With HIV/AIDS Education

2007-04-16T13:03:00.001-07:00

The Danish International Development Agency in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and the Voice of Vietnam radio on Wednesday launched a radio program that aims to educate young people in the country about HIV/AIDS, the Vietnam News Brief Service reports (Vietnam News Brief Service, 1/25). The long-term goal of the program is to promote increased access to and improve the quality of reproductive health services. The program will be targeted to youth in the country and will focus on changing behavior to prevent HIV transmission, according to the Saigon Times Daily (Trung, Saigon Times Daily, 1/24). The program -- which will be broadcast in 64 provinces and cities in Vietnam and in several ethnic languages -- will run as a serialized soap opera that includes 104 episodes. It will be funded with a $770,000 grant from DANIDA (Vietnam News Brief Service, 1/25). DANIDA earlier collaborated with VOV on a call-in radio program, called "Window of Love," that focused on reproductive health education. The program was positively received among youth in the country, according to the Times Daily. Lack of awareness and understanding about HIV are contributing to stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people in the country, the Times Daily reports. Vietnamese media outlets -- including radio, television, newspapers and films -- in recent years have sponsored campaigns aimed providing education about HIV/AIDS. The DANIDA project will end in December 2009, the Times Daily reports (Saigon Times Daily, 1/24).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Guyanese Health Ministry To Provide $450,000 For HIV/AIDS Programs Nationwide

2007-04-16T12:23:00.001-07:00

The Guyanese Ministry of Health on Tuesday announced it will provide $450,000 to 16 nongovernmental organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS programs nationwide, the Stabroek News reports. The funding will be provided through the health ministry's HIV/AIDS prevention and control project. Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy urged the NGOs -- which include the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Spectrum Health Net and the Art of Living Foundation -- to execute their projects in a timely and organized manner (Seales, Stabroek News, 1/25). In related news, Guyana's Government Information Agency on Tuesday announced that the number of HIV-positive people accessing antiretroviral treatment at clinics nationwide has increased since the end of 2005, the Caribbean Media Corporation reports (Caribbean Media Corporation, 1/24). Eight public health clinics in six of the country's regions by the end of 2005 were providing access to antiretrovirals, following the establishment in 2002 of the first treatment clinic in the capital, Georgetown, according to Stabroek News. In addition, GINA announced that the government plans to provide 80% of HIV-positive pregnant women in the country with treatment access through a program aimed at preventing vertical HIV transmission. GINA on Wednesday also announced that the government has provided almost 11,000 HIV-positive people with access to treatment through a clinic in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. According to GINA, the government in conjunction with CDC and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief remodeled the clinic in June 2006 to increase its treatment capacity. The New Guyana Pharmaceutical Company with PEPFAR funding is producing antiretrovirals that the government makes available at no cost to all HIV-positive people in the country, GINA said, adding that Guyana plans to further expand prevention, treatment and care initiatives (Stabroek News, 1/24).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Global AIDS Alliance Thanks Congress For Increasing Funding For AIDS, TB And Malaria Programs

2007-04-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

Today the Global AIDS Alliance thanked the US Congress for agreeing to a major increase in funds to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa and other regions for fiscal year 2007. Congress will increase funding by $1.3 billion, for a total of $4.5 billion. This will raise the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a cost-effective international partnership, to $724 million.

Congress has recognized that global disease is a true emergency in which bold US leadership can be truly effective. The AIDS epidemic is still spreading, with 4.3 million new infections this past year. Extremely drug- resistant TB is a major new threat, especially in southern Africa. Malaria is a major killer of children and a contributing factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance, made the following statement:

"This funding increase will save millions of lives and provide urgently needed care and support for millions of orphaned and vulnerable children. We thank all members of Congress responsible for this funding increase, in particular Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Representative David Obey (D-WI), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA). These legislators are putting the US on the right side of history by fully backing the fight against disease. This is exactly the kind of bold leadership we need in the US Congress.

"With the increase for the Global Fund, the US is much better placed to go to other countries and urge them to increase their contributions to the Fund. We will need Germany, Japan and others to now reciprocate by upping their contributions; otherwise the global goal of universal access to AIDS-related services by 2010 will remain out of reach.

"A new, extremely dangerous form of TB has emerged, and much more US funding will be required to combat it, and quickly. Extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) threatens to undermine much of our progress in fighting HIV/AIDS. The emergency is so great that the Congress should use the upcoming Supplemental Budget for 2007 to channel $300 million to address this disease threat.

"A wide range of humanitarian, student and religious groups worked together to urge Congress to provide the funding agreed to this week. People across the United States also appealed to Congress to provide this funding, and Congress responded with vision and leadership.

"Increases are also urgently needed for other global poverty programs, as well as the response to AIDS in the United States, and we hope Congress provides these as a part of the FY 2008 appropriations process."

Global AIDS Alliance
http://www.globalaidsalliance.org

Uganda AIDS Commission Announces Plans To Test 500,000 Annually, Provide Treatment For 90% Of HIV-Positive People By 2012

2007-04-16T11:11:00.001-07:00

The Uganda AIDS Commission in a report released last week said it plans to test and counsel 500,000 people for HIV annually by 2012 and provide opportunistic infection prevention and treatment services to 90% of HIV-positive people in the country, Uganda's New Vision reports. The report -- released at a two-day workshop attended by officials and HIV/AIDS advocates in Fort Portal, Uganda -- says the commission aims to increase access to antiretroviral drugs to 90% of HIV-positive people who require treatment. It also says HIV testing and counseling will be available at 107 hospitals and 160 health centers across the country. The strategies include increasing HIV testing and counseling. There are about 1.1 million HIV-positive people in Uganda, and the number of cases is expected to increase to 1.8 million by 2012 "at the current rate of 135,000 new infections annually," the report says (Thawite, New Vision/AllAfrica.com, 1/25). The commission also plans to improve services for people coinfected with HIV and tuberculosis, Xinhua News Agency reports (Xinhua News Agency, 1/25).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Cellulose Sulfate Microbicide Trial Stopped - Statement Developed By The World Health Organization And UNAIDS

2007-04-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

A Phase III study of the candidate microbicide* cellulose sulfate to prevent HIV transmission in women has been stopped prematurely because of a higher number of HIV infections in the active compared with the placebo group. This is a disappointing and unexpected setback in the search for a safe and effective microbicide that can be used by women to protect themselves against HIV infection.

Cellulose sulfate was one of four compounds being evaluated in large-scale studies of effectiveness among women at high risk of HIV infection. Currently there are three other Phase III microbicide studies under way. The Carraguard study (sponsored by the Population Council and conducted in three sites in South Africa) is nearing completion and results are expected by the end of 2007. Another product, PRO 2000, is being tested in one study in five sites in South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda (results expected in 2009) as well as in a second study in seven sites in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe (results expected in 2008). In this second study a further compound, BufferGel, (a vaginal defence enhancer) is being tested. All the other compounds mentioned are products that block HIV infection - known as HIV entry inhibitors - and have a similar presumed mechanism of action.

Data from these clinical trials will be indispensable to the researchers and developers of emerging and future microbicide candidates. It is important for the microbicide field to understand why cellulose sulfate was associated with a higher risk of HIV infection than the placebo product. At present there is no explanation for this higher rate of transmission of HIV. The need to continue research to find a user-controlled means of preventing HIV infection in women is urgent. Despite the effectiveness and availability of condoms, the HIV epidemic continues to spread and the search for a safe and effective microbicide is a vital part of the effort to stem the spread of the HIV epidemic.

*Microbicides are products being developed to be used by women to reduce the transmission of HIV during sexual intercourse. A microbicide could take the form of a gel, cream, film, tablet or sponge, or be contained in a vaginal ring that releases the active ingredient gradually.

http://www.who.int

New York City Health Department Approves $1.57M Contract To Distribute 20M Condoms To Curb HIV/AIDS

2007-04-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently approved a $1.57 million contract to deliver more than 20 million Ansell Healthcare's Lifestyle condoms and packets of lubricants to organizations and venues in the city to help curb the spread of HIV, the New York Post reports (Campanile, New York Post, 1/26). The health department will pay Ansell four cents per condom, putting the cost of the program at about $720,000 annually, according to health officials. Officials are attempting to make the packaging for the condoms, which will be distributed by the city, more distinctive. Current condoms distributed by the city are wrapped in the red packaging from the Lifestyles brand. City officials said they hope the condom's packaging will help them to better track the effectiveness of their distribution program, the AP/CBS4Denver.com reports. Officials plan to track the progress of the program through an annual community health survey, which polls 10,000 city residents by telephone. New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said, "We ask, 'Did you use a condom the last time you had sex?' And once this is launched, the next time we ask that question, of those people who say yes, we'll say, 'What did the wrapper look like?"' He added that if "they describe our wrapper, then we'll know that they would have used our condom." Frieden said, "Brands work, and people use branded items more than they use nonbranded items, whether it's a cola or a medicine even." New York City currently distributes about 1.5 million condoms monthly, or about 18 million annually, at no cost to organizations, health clinics, advocacy groups, bars, restaurants, nail salons, nightclubs and prisons. Organizations or venues can request an unlimited supply of condoms at no cost through an online ordering system set up by the city health department (AP/CBS4Denver.com, 1/26). There are more than 100,000 HIV-positive people in New York City, and health officials estimate that there are thousands more undiagnosed HIV cases (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/20/06).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Leading Advocates Express Support For Microbicide Research, Despite Disappointing Clinical Trial Results

2007-04-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

HIV prevention advocates from three major civil society organizations today emphasized the importance of continued research into new HIV prevention options, despite the recent discontinuation of the Phase III effectiveness trials of the microbicide candidate, cellulose sulfate (CS).

CS was one of the four microbicide candidates in Phase III effectiveness trials for prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. CONRAD, a reproductive health research organization, was conducting Phase III trials to assess its effectiveness in Benin, India, South Africa, and Uganda. Another Phase III trial of CS sponsored by Family Health International was underway in Nigeria. Both sponsors are not-for profit research groups dedicated to advancing health in developing countries.

At the recommendation of their respective Data Safety Monitoring Boards both sponsors chose to discontinue their CS trials after findings from the CONRAD trial suggested that CS might be contributing to an increased risk of HIV infection. Although review of the data from the Nigerian trial found no evidence of increased risk, FHI felt that the only responsible course of action was to halt its study also.

"Of course we wish the results had been different, but learning what doesn't work can be just as important to progress as learning what does work," observed Lori Heise, Director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM). "It's also reassuring that the independent Data Safety and Monitoring Committees, put in place to identify problems early on in a trial, appear to have worked well. Advocates have been instrumental in pushing for extra mechanisms to help protect participant safety."

African advocates are following the trials conducted in their countries particularly closely, reported Manju Chatani, Coordinator of the African Microbicide Advocacy Group (AMAG). "Scientists scrutinized the data available on cellulose sulfate before the Phase III trials started, including safety results from 11 clinical trials done in Africa, India and the US. All the data suggested that the product was safe and should proceed into Phase III trials," she said.

"This is a setback but it does not detract from the issue that women still don't have the tools they need to protect themselves from HIV", Chatani added. "And African women, especially, urgently need more prevention options. So while we need concrete answers to why this happened as soon as possible, we must continue to research new options so women don't have to ask for permission to protect themselves".

Dr. Kim Dickson, an African physician who serves on the boards of both GCM and AMAG, noted that care and treatment of trial participants are among the top concerns of both groups, along with clinical trial ethics. "At civil society's insistence, the trial investigators forged written agreements in advance to assure that any women who sero-converted while enrolled in the trial would get ongoing care and treatment, including anti-retroviral drugs as needed", she said. "Our priority now is to make sure that advocates' and community questions about this trial and future research are heard and addressed as soon as possible."

Adding his perspective, Director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) Mitchell Warren observed that "Getting a negative result for one product certainly doesn't signal failure for the microbicide field or broader biomedical HIV prevention research effort as a whole. The nature of research is that the information gathered is cumulative", he continued. "Each trial result is a puzzle piece and, together, they make up the complex picture that will show us how to develop successful new HIV prevention tools."

Heise concluded by noting that "The real heroines and heroes in this are the people who enroll in clinical trials because they know how urgently new prevention tools are needed. In Benin, South Africa, and Uganda, the African countries in which the CS trials were being done, between one third and one half of all women of reproductive age are already HIV positive", she added. "It is essential to build on what has been learned here and proceed with the research as rapidly as possible. Millions of women's lives are at stake."

The Global Campaign for Microbicides is an international movement of activists, citizens and not for profit organizations dedicated to accelerating access to new HIV prevention tools, especially for women.
http://www.global-campaign.org.

The African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG) is a coalition of microbicide advocates from organisations and institutions based and/or working in various African countries.
http://www.global-campaign.org/amag.htm.

The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) is a non-profit, community- and consumer-based organization that uses public education, policy analysis, advocacy and community mobilization to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of AIDS vaccines and other HIV prevention options.
http://www.avac.org.

Caribbean Summit On HIV/AIDS 'Long Overdue,' Opinion Piece Says

2007-04-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

At last week's Caribbean Summit on HIV/AIDS in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, a "few regional leaders ... have finally taken their heads out of our soft sand," which hopefully will "expos[e] the salutary neglect" of those heads of state who have not applied for funds from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for "political reasons" or "fatal ignorance," Anthony Hall, an international lawyer and political consultant, writes in a Caribbean Net News opinion piece. According to Hall, the "collective failure of leadership" of Caribbean leaders has allowed HIV/AIDS to reach "the highest prevalence of HIV in any region of the world outside of sub-Saharan Africa." Will it take Oprah Winfrey and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "coming to our islands and being tested publicly for HIV (as they did separately in Africa recently) before some of our leaders feel sufficiently moved to launch comprehensive treatment and prevention programs?" Hall asks. Caribbean leaders "face a daunting but absolutely critical task of disabusing our people of prevailing social taboos and religious dogma that affect their disregard" because "only then will they be receptive" to HIV/AIDS education and prevention, Hall writes (Hall, Caribbean Net News, 1/26).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

British PM Blair, Musician Bono Call On Countries, Corporations To Fulfill Pledges To Africa, Including HIV/AIDS Commitments

2007-04-16T08:18:00.001-07:00

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish musician Bono on Friday at a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, called on international corporations and donor countries to fulfill their commitments to Africa, including HIV/AIDS pledges, the AP/Sydney Morning Herald reports. "I think it's important that the momentum" surrounding African development efforts is "redoubled" for the next meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, which is scheduled for June in Germany, Blair said, adding, "There are good things that have happened, both on debt cancellation and a lot of work done on HIV and AIDS" (AP/Sydney Morning Herald, 1/27). G8 leaders in July 2005 at the close of their summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, agreed to an immediate doubling of aid to Africa to $50 billion annually in order to fight poverty and disease on the continent. The final summit comminique officially endorsed a debt relief plan, which canceled at least $40 billion in debt owed by the world's 18 poorest nations. The communique also included an agreement on providing universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, according to Blair (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/8/05). In addition, Bono said that although corruption is one of the biggest issues facing Africa, there also has been corruption "north of the equator" in terms of a failure to quickly cancel debt owed by many African countries. He added that debt cancellation should be the focus of the G8 summit in Germany. "As we go into Germany, this is where we find out if we are making progress, and if we fail, it is corruption of the highest order," Bono said. South African President Thabo Mbeki, Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-founder Bill Gates also participated in panel discussion (AP/Sydney Morning Herald, 1/27). Mbeki said that there is a need to use available HIV/AIDS funding more efficiently. "Let's not add new programs and new projects," he said, adding, "[W]e've identified enough of those and agreed on enough of those. Let's remove the things that block implementation" (Xinhua/People's Daily, 1/27). Sirleaf Johnson said that Africans "shouldn't be so poor," adding, "Get rid of the debt and that frees us to get to our objective." Gates said that he is "incredibly hopeful" that efforts to improve the health of Africans are successful and that the continent's economic situation improves (AP/Sydney Morning Herald, 1/27). Blair at the forum also urged leaders to relaunch talks concerning the World Trade Organization-endorsed Doha Declaration, which is aimed at lowering trade barriers to promote economic development in poorer nations. "I think there is every chance the (talks) will get underway again," Blair said, adding, "If it succeeds, it'll be great. If it fails, it'll be catastrophic" (Xinhua/People's Daily, 1/27).

GAVI Initiative
The GAVI Alliance, a partnership aimed at providing increased access to immunizations in developing countries, on Friday at the World Economic Forum announced plans to commit $500 million over three years to strengthen health care infrastructures and train additional health workers in developing nations. The GAVI initiative aims to counter the migration of health workers where its training and immunization programs have been most effective, the Los Angeles Times reports. GAVI, which was launched in 2000 with a grant from the Gates Foundation, also will provide training and support to deliver new vaccines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, according to Gates. Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of GAVI, called the lack of health care workers in sub-Saharan Africa a "capacity crisis," adding, "Instead of just training sophisticated doctors and nurses, we will train paramedics" to administer vaccines. It would be more cost effective to provide training and support to health care workers, who likely would remain in their home countries, where their skills are in higher demand, Lob-Levyt said (Piller, Los Angeles Times, 1/27).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

China To Launch HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign Focusing On Migrant Workers

2007-04-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security on Friday launched a HIV/AIDS prevention campaign focused on the country's migrant workers, Xinhua/China Daily reports (Xinhua/China Daily, 1/26). The program -- funded by U.S. Department of Labor -- aims to raise public awareness of HIV prevention, protect employment rights of people living with the disease, and reduce stigma and discrimination in the workplace (Xinhua/People's Daily, 1/26). According to Xinhua/China Daily, many of the 200 million migrant workers in the country avoid taking no-cost HIV tests available at their workplace because of stigma associated with the virus and fear they will be fired if they test positive. Employers and migrant workers will be taught about HIV transmission and prevention methods and will be given brochures, Zheng Dongliang, the program's director, said at the program's launch on Friday (Xinhua/China Daily, 1/26). A recent report conducted by the International Labor Organization estimates that the country could lose five million laborers by 2015 if it does not take effective measures to address HIV/AIDS. Deborah Seligsohn, counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said the education program will also help increase awareness among the spouses of migrant workers. The U.S. Labor Department is providing $3.5 million for the program, according to Caijing Magazine. According to Seligsohn, through the program the U.S. government will help build capacity and share effective methods in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS and caring for those living with the disease (Xinhua/China's Daily, 1/26).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Democrats Propose $463.5B Spending Bill; Allocate $1.3B Increase To Fund International HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Programs

2007-04-16T07:11:00.001-07:00

Congressional Democrats on Monday released a $463.5 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year 2007 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs, bringing the total for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to $4.5 billion, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Taylor, AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/30). PEPFAR is a five-year, $15 billion program that directs funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria primarily to 15 focus countries and provides funding to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/12). The $4.5 billion for PEPFAR includes $3.2 billion for the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative, $712 million for USAID's Child Survival and Health Program, and $494 million for CDC and HHS global HIV/AIDS activities, according to a House Appropriations Committee summary. Of these amounts, $724 million would be allocated for the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund, with $625 million coming from the State Department and USAID, and $99 million from HHS. In addition, $248 million would be allocated to expand programs under the President's Malaria Initiative, an increase of $149 million. The resolution also allocates an additional $75.8 million in funding for the Ryan White CARE Act , which provides care and services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., to bring its funding to $1.2 billion (House Appropriations Committee summary, 1/29). However, the resolution does not appear to grant Bush's request to increase funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a program meant to encourage economic and political reforms in developing countries, the AP/CBS News reports. According to the AP/CBS news, the resolution would freeze most other federal spending at 2006 levels (Taylor, AP/CBS News, 1/30). "I don't expect people to love this proposal, I don't love this proposal, and we probably have made some wrong choices," House Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey (D-Wis.) said, adding, "At least we have made them in order to bring last year's issues to a conclusion so we can turn the page and deal with next year's priorities." The bill is scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday, the AP/Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Attention Drawn To The World's Health Inequalities

2007-04-16T07:06:00.001-07:00

When it comes to the inequality in people's health across the globe, says Professor Danny Dorling (University of Sheffield, United Kingdom) "you can say it, you can prove it, you can tabulate it, but it is only when you show it that it hits home."

This is the philosophy behind Worldmapper, a collection of cartograms that rescale the size of territories in proportion to the value being mapped (examples of values that are mapped are public health spending, malaria cases, HIV prevalence, and number of physicians).

Worldmapper Poster 213, for example, shows public health spending--most of Africa appears tiny on this map. Another cartogram (Worldmapper Poster 229) shows global malaria cases - in this case Africa appears enormous.

In a paper in PLoS Medicine, Professor Dorling describes why he and his colleagues launched the Worldmapper project (http://www.worldmapper.org/). The project is a collaboration between researchers at the Social and Spatial Inequalities Research Group of the University of Sheffield and Mark Newman from the Center for the Study of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan in the United States. During the course of 2006, the project aimed to create 365 new world maps, embed them in explanatory posters, and provide raw data and technical notes on many of the most prominent of the world major datasets published mainly by various United Nations organizations. This information is all freely available on the Worldmapper website.

"What I think matters most," says Professor Dorling, "are the new ways of thinking that we foster as we redraw the images of the human anatomy of our planet in these ways. What do we need to be able to see - so that we can act?"

###

Citation: Dorling D (2007) Worldmapper: The human anatomy of a small planet. PLoS Med 4(1): e1.

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CONTACT:
Daniel Dorling
University of Sheffield
Department of Geography
Western Bank
Sheffield, S10 2TN United Kingdom

About PLoS Medicine

PLoS Medicine is an open access, freely available international medical journal. It publishes original research that enhances our understanding of human health and disease, together with commentary and analysis of important global health issues. For more information, visit http://www.plosmedicine.org/

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Contact: Andrew Hyde
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HIV/AIDS Advocates Protest Novartis' Case Challenge India Patent Law

2007-04-16T06:19:00.001-07:00

Some HIV/AIDS advocacy groups are calling on pharmaceutical company Novartis to drop its legal challenge to the Indian government's patent laws, saying that if the company wins the case it could restrict access to antiretroviral drugs for millions of people worldwide, South Africa's Business Day reports. Novartis is challenging a section of India's Patents Act that aims to restrict certain kinds of patents, according to Business Day. Novartis brought a civil lawsuit against the Indian government after the country in January 2006 rejected the company's attempt to patent a new version of its leukemia drug Gleevec on the basis that the drug is a new formulation of an existing drug (Musgrave, Business Day, 1/25). According to the AP/International Herald Tribune, India's patent law, which went into effect in January 2005, allows patents for products that are new inventions developed after 1995, when India joined the World Trade Organization, or for an updated drug that exhibits improved efficacy. Although some Indian drug companies and groups say that Gleevec is a new formulation of a drug developed before 1995, Novartis says that it is an improved drug (Rabinowitz, AP/International Herald Tribune, 1/29). Decisions concerning patents on some newer HIV/AIDS drugs in India have not been announced (Business Day, 1/25). If Novartis wins the case, it could potentially set a precedent for other pharmaceutical companies seeking patent protection for drugs, including antiretrovirals, some HIV/AIDS advocates have said (AP/International Herald Tribune, 1/29). Medecins San Frontieres International Council President Christophe Fournier last month said the organization relies on reduced-cost, quality drugs produced in India to provide treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. According to the group, antiretrovirals produced in India are used to provide treatment to more than 80% of the 80,000 people in more than 30 countries who receive treatment from the organization's projects (Business Day, 1/25). A court in Chennai, India, heard arguments in the case on Monday (AP/International Herald Tribune, 1/29). According to the New York Times, the court was asked to clarify regulations on patents for new versions of existing drugs whose original patents have expired. Novartis spokesperson John Gilardi said, "We are trying to gain clarity as to what guides India's patent laws. ... This is not about access to medicines. It is about establishing whether India is going to step up and adopt the minimum international standards required for the protection of intellectual property." Unni Karunakara, medical director of MSF's campaign to broaden access to medicines, said, "Novartis is trying to shut down the pharmacy of the developing world." A decision in the Novartis case is not expected until Feb. 15 (Gentleman, New York Times, 1/30).

Protests in India; Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of HIV/AIDS advocates on Monday protested in New Delhi, India, against the Novartis patent challenge, the AP/Herald Tribune reports. MSF, along with Oxfam International, has gathered about 250,000 signatures for a petition asking Novartis to drop the case (AP/International Herald Tribune, 1/29). Several HIV/AIDS advocacy groups in Washington, D.C., also protested on Monday, the AFP/France24 reports. David Bryden, communications director for Global AIDS Alliance, said that the advocates were attempting to deliver a golden miniature coffin to a Novartis office in the district but that they were turned away. The demonstrators chanted, "Patient rights, not patent rights" and, "Novartis greed kills people in need; Drop the case now," AFP/France 24 reports. The protest symbolizes the "fatal consequence" of Novartis' action for people who rely on India for generic drugs, Bryden said (AFP/France24, 1/29).

APM's "Marketplace" on Monday reported on the protests. The segment includes comments from Bryan Liang -- a professor at the California Western School of Law who advises pharmaceutical companies on competition, pricing and access -- and Chan Park, a patient advocate with the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit (Levitt, "Marketplace," APM, 1/29). Audio of the segment is available online.

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Thai Health Ministry Breaks Patent, Issues Compulsory License For Abbott's Antiretroviral Kaletra

2007-04-16T06:09:00.001-07:00

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Monday said that it has broken a patent on Abbott Laboratories' antiretroviral drug Kaletra by issuing a compulsory license to produce a lower-cost version of the drug, Reuters UK reports. According to Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla, the compulsory license was signed into law and took effect on Friday (Pongpiphat, Reuters UK, 1/29). World Trade Organization regulations allow governments to declare a "national emergency" and issue compulsory licenses without consulting the foreign patent owner. Thailand, which has 580,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, has won international recognition for its quick launch of a national drug program that treats more than 82,000 HIV-positive people. However, the government's commitment to providing universal access to care is facing increasingly high drug costs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/26). Kaletra currently costs about $347 per patient monthly, and the lower-priced version could cost about $120 per patient monthly, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/29). According to Reuters UK, the compulsory license could save the country as much as $24 million annually. "We have to do this because we don't have enough money to buy safe and necessary drugs for the people under the government's universal health scheme," Mongkol said. Some HIV/AIDS advocates welcomed the announcement concerning Kaletra, according to Reuters UK (Reuters UK, 1/29). According to MSF, lowering the cost of Kaletra will make the drug more widely available. Some pharmaceutical companies criticized the decision, saying that they might have to reconsider their investments in Thailand (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/29). According to Teera Chakajnorodom, chair of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association, the group might petition the country's Administrative Court, which rules on the legality of government actions, to block the compulsory license (Reuters UK, 1/29). "After the company does 10 years of research, and then suddenly the Thai government would like to impose the compulsory license, taking away their property, their assets -- this is not a good practice," Teera said, adding that the government says the drug is "far too expensive for the Thai public to have access. But they never approached the companies before. Everything is negotiable" (Zamiska, Wall Street Journal, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Senior WHO Official Nabarro Leads New Shortlist Of Candidates For Global Fund Executive Director Position, Financial Times Reports

2007-04-16T03:41:00.001-07:00

David Nabarro, a senior World Health Organization administrator leading U.N. efforts to fight avian and pandemic flu, heads a new shortlist of three candidates for the executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Financial Times reports (Jack, Financial Times, 1/29). The Global Fund in November 2006 called off plans to name a new executive director to succeed Richard Feachem -- whose contract ends in March -- and launched a new search. Board members at closed meetings in November 2006 were unable to agree on one of two finalists. The final two candidates were Michel Kazatchkine, a former Global Fund vice chair and France's global ambassador for HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases, and Michel Sidibe, director of UNAIDS' country and regional support department, according to meeting participants. Sidibe withdrew his candidacy for the position. According to a previous report, a nomination committee in January named nine candidates for the executive direction position:

Kazatchkine;
Julio Frenk, former health minister of Mexico and a finalist in last year's search for a new WHO head;
Nabarro;
Alex Coutinho, manager of AIDS treatment programs in Uganda;
Carol Bellamy, president of World Learning and former UNICEF director;
Kunio Waki, deputy executive director of the U.N. Population Fund;
Jack Chow, former U.S. Department of State senior official who also oversaw WHO AIDS programs;
Arata Kochi, head of WHO's Malaria Department; and
Brad Herbert, former Global Fund director of operations (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/9).

A Global Fund board meeting is scheduled for early next month to select a new executive director (Financial Times, 1/29).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Trial On Anti-HIV Gel For Women Stopped

2007-04-16T03:36:00.001-07:00

A trial on a microbicidal vaginal gel designed to protect women against HIV infection has been stopped. Sponsored by the US reproductive health organization CONRAD, the trial was stopped because the group of women using the active gel were being infected with HIV at a higher rate than the placebo group.

The cellulose sulfate microbicide gel is one of four currently in a third phase of testing by clinical trials. Trials on the other three products have not been stopped.

The trial was being conducted on over 1,300 women in Benin, India, South Africa and Uganda. Another trial in Nigeria, sponsored by Family Health International, using the same product has also been stopped as a precautionary measure, although there is no news as to whether this trial was giving similar results.

The World Health Organization said today that "This is a disappointing and unexpected setback in the search for a safe and effective microbicide that can be used by women to protect themselves against HIV infection."

CONRAD, the sponsors of the trial that has been stopped, is a cooperating agency of USAID, whose Chief of Research, Technology and Utilization Division, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Jeff Spieler, said in a prepared statement that he was "surprised and disappointed by these findings given the pre-clinical effectiveness and safety profile of CS and its safety profile demonstrated in Phase I trials."

He said he was hopeful that the other three products in Phase III trials would yield good results and help to push forward the fight to help women protect themselves against HIV infection.

The other three microbicide products in Phase III trials are: Carraguard, which is being tested in 3 South African sites and is expected to finish in 2007; PRO 2000, which is being tested in two studies, one due to finish in 2008 and another in 2009, also in a range of African countries. And one of the PRO 2000 studies is also testing the third microbicide, BufferGel.

Apart from BufferGel, which is a vaginal defence enhancer, the other Phase III products, including cellulose sulfate, are known as HIV entry inhibitors - they block the infection route for HIV.

The cellulose sulfate microbicide gel in the trial that has been stopped is manufactured by the Canadian company Polydex Pharmaceuticals.

Microbicides are a range of products for use by women. Each product acts in its own way to reduce the transmission of HIV by sexual intercourse. The products are available in a range of forms such as gels, creams, tablets, sponges, films, or in a vaginal ring that releases the agent over a period of time.

They are considered an effective route for HIV prevention because studies show that significant numbers of African men will not use condoms for a range of reasons and women are not able to insist that they do.

Click here for cellulose sulfate microbicide Clinical Trial Summary (CONRAD site).

Click here for more information on microbicides (Alliance for Microbicide Development).

Written by: Catharine Paddock
Writer: Medical News Today

Initial Product RED Contributions To Global Fund Flowing To Africa, Financial Times Reports

2007-04-16T02:53:00.001-07:00

The initial contributions from the Product RED label -- a project created by Irish musician Bono and Bobby Shriver that aims to raise money for the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by donating a portion of profits from a range of branded products -- have started flowing to HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, the Financial Times reports (Beattie, Financial Times, 1/27). American Express, Converse, Giorgio Armani and Gap were the initial partners in the program and are distributing credit cards and selling tennis shoes, sunglasses and T-shirts, respectively, carrying the Product RED label. The four partner companies have committed to the brand for five years and have pledged to give an average of 40% of profits from the products to the Global Fund. London's Independent in May 2006 announced that it would become the first media outlet to sign on as a partner in the project. In addition, Motorola in May 2006 announced that it will partner with Product RED. Apple Computer in October 2006 began selling a red-colored iPod Nano and $25 iTunes gift cards under the Product RED label. According to Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem, Product RED has raised more than $10 million in the United Kingdom from February 2006 through September 2006 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/16/06). According to the Times, $5.25 million from the project has been directed toward HIV/AIDS programs in Rwanda, and $4 million has been directed toward programs in Swaziland. The programs in the two countries aim to provide access to antiretroviral drugs, as well as care for children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related causes. Although contributions from the Product RED label are grouped into the Global Fund's common pool of resources, the label "felt it needed to show concrete examples of its donations being used," and the Global Fund has "allowed it to present that Rwandan and Swaziland projects as being a direct result of RED donations," the Times reports. Feachem said that he hopes Product RED in a few years will contribute a "few hundred million" dollars annually to the Global Fund, adding that RED consumers could call on political leaders to increase their contributions (Financial Times, 1/27).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Jamaican Senate Passes Motion To Prohibit HIV Testing Among Prospective Employees

2007-04-16T02:41:00.001-07:00

The Jamaican Senate on Friday approved a motion that would change the country's labor laws to prohibit employers from screening potential employees for HIV/AIDS, the Caribbean Media Corporation reports. Senate Opposition member Dwight Nelson called the screening practice discriminatory and called on the government to amend the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act to make the practice illegal. Nelson also said the practice violates the conventions of the International Labour Organization (Caribbean Media Corporation, 1/27). An amendment to the motion states that the Senate can "call upon the government to put in place the mechanisms that are necessary, including legislation to address the mischief identified by this motion." The motion was backed by Sen. Trevor Munroe, who called on the Senate to amend Jamaica's Charter of Rights to make it illegal to discriminate based on health status or disability. Nelson said he introduced the measure because many employers were not observing a memorandum of understanding issued by the Jamaica Employers' Federation that says people living with HIV/AIDS are entitled to the same rights, benefits and opportunities as those with other conditions (Campbell, Jamaica Gleaner, 1/29).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Libya Proposes Plan To Release Medical Workers Sentenced To Death In HIV Infection Case

2007-04-16T01:51:00.001-07:00

Libya has proposed a plan to release the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi -- the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and head of Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations - said in a statement to a Bulgarian newspaper on Monday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/29). The health workers in May 2004 were sentenced to death by firing squad for allegedly infecting 426 children through contaminated blood products at Al Fateh Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya. They also were ordered to pay a total of $1 million to the families of the HIV-positive children. The Libyan Supreme Court in December 2005 overturned the medical workers' convictions and ordered a retrial in a lower court. A court in Tripoli, Libya, last month convicted the health workers and sentenced them to death. The health workers say they are innocent of the charges, claiming that they were forced to confess and that they were tortured by Libyan officials during interrogations. The European Parliament on Jan. 18 in a resolution called on European Union member states to review their trade relations with Libya and to urge Libya to release the medical workers (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/23). "We have proposed a road map with solutions (satisfying) all parties: the parents, the Libyan government, the Bulgarian side, the E.U.," Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said. He added that the plan calls for "substantial compensation for the families of those affected" and the release of Libyan officer Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who is in a Scottish jail for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. According to Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, he has discussed the proposal with the foreign ministers of Germany and France. "We believe al-Megrahi is innocent in the same way you believe that your nurses are innocent," Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said, adding, "Just like you have the right to demand the return of your nurses, we have the right to insist for the return of al-Megrahi to Libya." Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said that Libya would not carry out the death sentences against the six medical workers, adding, "The case took a wrong direction from the beginning. ... There were many mistakes." The Bulgarian foreign ministry on Monday said it would not comment on Seif al-Islam Gaddafi's statement (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/29).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

IAVI Report Examines Initiative's History, AIDS Vaccine Timeline

2007-04-16T01:40:00.001-07:00

"Imagining a World Without AIDS," International AIDS Vaccine Initiative: The report examines IAVI's history and includes a timeline of milestones in IAVI and AIDS vaccine research. It also reviews various initiatives in the global effort to develop an AIDS vaccine (IAVI, "Imagining a World Without AIDS," December 2006).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Carrington Subsidiary DelSite Signs Technology License Agreement With AriaVax For Development Of HIV Vaccine

2007-04-16T00:44:00.001-07:00

Carrington Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: CARN) today announced its wholly-owned subsidiary DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc. has granted a non-exclusive license to AriaVax, Inc., a privately-held biotech company located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for the purpose of developing and evaluating an investigational vaccine against HIV infection using DelSite's proprietary GelSite(R) polymer delivery technology.

The objective of the program is to develop an effective peptide vaccine formulation that will not only enhance the immune system but will also remain stable at room temperature, be easily shipped and require no refrigeration. Financial terms were not disclosed.

As part of the agreement, DelSite will provide AriaVax with its GelSite(R) polymer and will provide assistance in the vaccine formulation development. GelSite's known safety and chemical properties that enable it to bind to and stabilize proteins and peptides give it the unique ability to deliver a vaccine in either powder form or for reconstitution into a liquid for injection, thus providing the flexibility required for worldwide distribution of such an important vaccine. AriaVax will be responsible for creating the peptide portion of the vaccine candidate cocktail for preclinical studies as well as related testing.

AriaVax's Deadlock(TM) technology allows for the creation of new, small- molecule components of proteins that are termed conformationally-constrained peptides. In preclinical studies these molecules have been shown to elicit the kinds of broadly cross-reactive immune responses against HIV that are desirable in a vaccine. However, the strength and duration of the immune response obtained by AriaVax with its HIV-derived vaccine compounds have thus far been too weak for widespread use. AriaVax believes the GelSite(R) polymer's unique gelling properties could potentially enhance the potency of its vaccine candidates.

The GelSite(R) polymer in the GelVac(TM) formulation, delivered as a nasal powder, was shown to be safe and well tolerated in a Phase I clinical safety study in humans. The delivery device performed as expected and delivered greater than 95 percent of the dose.

HIV infection is well known as a primary health scourge of the twentieth century. With infection rates increasing annually throughout the world, the disease may claim a similar top rating for the twenty-first century. Many experts at top medical establishments throughout the world believe that the only way to control the spread of HIV is with a safe and effective vaccine. However, to date there are no known HIV vaccines capable of providing the levels of sterilizing immunity needed to halt the spread of the disease.

The HIV virus rapidly mutates, and hundreds of different strains are present worldwide. The key challenge for creating a safe and effective anti- HIV vaccine is to elicit in people a single neutralizing immune response that covers all of the world's strains. Molecular components that are common to the different strains of HIV should be useful components of a broadly neutralizing vaccine.

GelSite(R) polymer is a novel, naturally occurring ionic carbohydrate polymer from an organically certified raw material that is capable of forming a gel when brought into contact with body fluids containing calcium. Gelling occurs whether the active compound is delivered as a nasal powder or is injected as a liquid, and this gelling property provides sustained drug/vaccine release in either form.

DelSite has evaluated GelSite(R) polymer for delivery of various protein/peptide therapeutic and vaccine antigens and has completed a series of toxicology studies on the polymer. A drug master file (DMF) has recently been updated with both CDER and CBER of FDA.

A nasal powder formulation (GelVac(TM)) based on this polymer has been developed and successfully tested in the preclinical development of a nasal powder influenza vaccine. Early testing showed the nasal powder vaccine not only induced robust systemic and mucosal immune response but also provided room temperature storage ability that may allow for storage and shipment without requiring cold chain distribution system.

Dr. Yawei Ni, senior scientist at DelSite, stated, "This powder formulation may also be reconstituted for injection and maintains a strong immune-enhancing effect in either form, thus allowing it to meet specific needs of different vaccines. The distinct properties and multiple formulation options provided by the GelSite(R) polymer will further facilitate the development of AriaVax's novel HIV peptide antigens."

In September 2006, DelSite entered into a three-year CRADA with the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to determine if GelVac(TM) nasal powder delivery platform may be used for delivery of human papillomavirus virus-like particles (HPV VLP) vaccines in a powder dosage form for mucosal immunization. In January 2007, DelSite signed an agreement with EndoBiologics, Inc. for development of a Shigellosis vaccine using the GelSite(R) polymer delivery technology.

About AriaVax

AriaVax, Inc. is a privately held small molecule vaccine company located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. AriaVax is using its proprietary Deadlock(TM) technology to create novel peptide-based vaccine candidates for a variety of indications. A portion of the HIV work described here has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health of The Department of Health and Human Services.

About DelSite

Carrington's wholly owned subsidiary DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc. is developing its proprietary GelSite(R) technology designed to provide controlled release of peptide and protein-based drugs. DelSite is currently developing a nasal powder vaccine using its GelVac(TM) formula with the H5N1 avian flu antigen. This work is partially funded by two grants from the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, visit http://www.delsite.com.

About Carrington

Carrington Laboratories, Inc., is an ISO 9001-certified, research-based, green biopharmaceutical and consumer products company currently utilizing naturally-occurring complex carbohydrates, from organically certified raw materials to manufacture and market products for mucositis, radiation dermatitis, wound and oral care, as well as to manufacture and market the nutraceutical raw material Manapol(R) and cosmetic raw material Hydrapol(TM). Carrington also manufactures and markets consumer products and manufactures quality products for other companies. Manufacturing operations comply with cGMP standards.

Carrington and DelSite technologies are protected by more than 130 patents in 26 countries. Select products carry the CE mark, recognized by more than 20 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://www.carringtonlabs.com.

Certain statements in this release concerning Carrington may be forward- looking. Actual events will be dependent upon a number of factors and risks including, but not limited to: subsequent changes in plans by the Company's management; delays or problems in formulation, manufacturing, distribution, production and/or launch of new finished products; changes in the regulatory process; changes in market trends; and a number of other factors and risks described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, including the Form 10-Q, filed November 14, 2006.

Carrington Laboratories, Inc.
http://www.carringtonlabs.com

HIV Dementia Alarmingly High In Africa

2007-04-16T00:37:00.001-07:00

An international study led by Johns Hopkins suggests that the rate of HIV-associated dementia is so high in sub-Saharan Africa that HIV dementia along with Alzheimer's disease and dementia from strokes may be among the most common forms of dementia in the world.

In the first study of HIV dementia on the African continent using rigorous neurological and neuropsychological tests, 31 percent of a small but presumably representative group of HIV-positive patients in Uganda were found to have HIV dementia, according to Ned Sacktor, M.D., a Johns Hopkins neurologist and senior author of a multi-institutional study that will be published Jan. 29 in Neurology.

HIV dementia is defined as memory, learning, behavioral and motor disabilities that interfere with normal daily life and in extreme cases lead to total disability and a bedridden state. Unlike Alzheimer's- and stroke-induced dementia, HIV dementia is treatable and potentially reversible with the same antiretroviral medication that is used to treat the infection. Treatment can even restore completely normal cognitive function to some of those affected.

The study looked at 178 subjects in Kampala, Uganda, from September 2003 to January 2004. Seventy-eight were HIV-positive patients recruited from the Infectious Disease Clinic in Mulago Hospital, Makerere University, and 100 were HIV-negative individuals recruited from the AIDs Information Center who were used to obtain normative data for the cognitive tests.

In diagnosing HIV dementia, researchers looked at medical history and the results of a series of comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological tests and functional assessments.

"Clearly, large-scale testing would have to be conducted before we know the global reach of HIV dementia, but this study sends a clear message that it exists in high proportions in sub-Saharan Africa and is an under-recognized condition that needs to be studied and treated," Sacktor says.

Of the estimated 40 million adults and children worldwide who are living with HIV infection, an estimated 27 million live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Sacktor.

"If the rate we saw in our study translates across sub-Saharan Africa, we're looking at more than 8,000,000 people in this region with HIV dementia," says Sacktor.

Sacktor says an extremely high rate of HIV dementia in Africa and other poor regions of the world adds enormously to the social and economic burden of their populations and governments. Dementia not only disrupts jobs and adds to the cost of care, but also interferes with a patient's ability to adhere to a regular course of antiretroviral medication, thus increasing the risk of drug resistance. People with dementia also are less likely to practice safe sex.

Before antiretroviral medications were available in the United States, the U.S. rate of HIV dementia was similar to what was discovered in this study in Uganda, says Sacktor. Unfortunately, he says, only 20 percent of people infected with HIV in the world are getting treatment.

"We hope studies like these will shed additional light on the devastating problem of HIV in resource-limited countries like Uganda and encourage more programs that bring much-needed medication to these poor regions of the world," Sacktor says.

Sacktor says there's little accurate data about HIV dementia patients in other parts of the world --- current estimates of the number of HIV-positive patients who have dementia range from 9 percent to 54 percent.

Additional researchers who worked on the study include Matthew Wong, M.D., from the University of Virginia; Richard Skolasky, M.A., from Johns Hopkins; Kevin Robertson, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina; Noeline Nakasujja, M.B., Ch.B., Seggane Musisi, M.B., Ch.B., and Elly Katabira, M.B., Ch.B., from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; and Allan Ronald, M.D., from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
901 S. Bond St., Ste 550
Baltimore, MD 21231
United States
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/

TB Becoming Difficult To Treat In Vietnam Because Of TB/HIV Coinfection, Health Official Says

2007-04-15T23:39:00.001-07:00

Tuberculosis is becoming more difficult to treat in Vietnam because 10% of people living with the disease also are HIV-positive, according to statistics from the National TB Control Program, the Vietnam News reports. "The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the main reasons why we still have so many TB patients, regardless of the large number of new TB cases that are discovered and treated every year," NTCP Director Dinh Ngoc Si said recently at a workshop in the city of Ha Noi. According to Si, 21,000 people in Vietnam are living with TB/HIV coinfection. In addition, the number of people living with TB/HIV coinfection is increasing in large cities -- including An Giang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, HCM City and Quang Ninh -- according to the Vietnam News. An increasing number of people with TB also are developing drug resistance, which could affect the country's treatment success rate, which is currently recorded at 90%, the Vietnam News reports. Vietnam has the 13th highest global TB burden, with roughly 221,000 people living with the disease, according to the NTCP. About 145,000 new TB cases are detected annually, and 70% of people with the disease are between ages 15 and 55, according to the Vietnam News (Vietnam News, 1/29).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Investment Level In HIV Prevention Programs Related To HIV Incidence In The United States

2007-04-15T23:35:00.001-07:00

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a historical analysis to examine the relationship between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) HIV prevention budget and HIV incidence in the U.S. from 1978 to 2006. The results are published in the January 2007 edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The researchers found that from the beginning of the epidemic until 1985 (when new infections peaked), incidence of HIV predicted investment levels. During this period, society responded to increasing levels of infection with more investment in prevention programs. Things changed in the mid 1980s when investment levels began to predict incidence. That is, as the nation continued to increase the funding of HIV prevention programs, HIV dropped substantially from 160,000 infections per year to about 40,000 infections per year. In the early 1990s, as the level of investment (adjusted for inflation) flattened out with little annual change, so too did the number of new infections per year. This suggested to the researchers that level investment yields level incidence.

"Our analysis helps explain why the number of new HIV infections has remained at 40,000 per year for over 15 years," said David R. Holtgrave, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Society at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and lead author of the study. "Investment levels have predicted HIV incidence since the mid-1980s. If we want to lower infections further in the U.S., these analyses suggest we should consider increasing our national investment. Yes, that may seem expensive, but HIV medical care easily tops $20,000 per patient per year. Therefore, funding of effective, scientifically sound HIV prevention services are likely to have a very favorable return on investment in terms of both lives and dollars saved."

Holtgrave noted that the analysis was based on historical data and is not a prospective trial of prevention effectiveness. Therefore, it is subject to methodological limitations. Nevertheless, he said it provides substantial indications of a strong relationship between the amount of national investment in HIV prevention and levels of new infections per year in the country. The paper"HIV Incidence and CDC's HIV Prevention Budget An Exploratory Correlational Analysis" was co-authored by Jennifer Kates, MPA, of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Contact: Tim Parsons
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Lawsuit Over AIDS Memorial Quilt Reflects Changes In U.S. HIV/AIDS Epidemic, New York Times Reports

2007-04-15T22:41:00.001-07:00

The lawsuit over the AIDS Memorial Quilt -- involving the Atlanta-based Names Project Foundation and Cleve Jones, who started the quilt in 1987 and served as its spokesperson for 15 years -- reflects the "changing symbolism and purpose of one of the most recognizable symbols of the AIDS crisis as the crisis itself has changed," the New York Times reports (McKinley, New York Times, 1/31). Jones and NPF in December 2005 reached an agreement on the issue of returning a portion of the quilt to San Francisco. Under the agreement, Jones will receive 35 blocks of the quilt after he creates a San Francisco-based organization to oversee them. According to the agreement, Jones was required to establish a "501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that will have the name of San Francisco Bay Area Friends of the AIDS Memorial Quilt" by Dec. 31, 2006. The settlement stipulated that if the deadline was not met, the foundation would be "relieved of any obligation to supply blocks of the quilt to the nonprofit." Jones said that he established a not-for-profit by the deadline through the San Francisco-based Tides Center, which oversees more than 200 projects. The dispute arises from the Tide Center's Web site, which states that it is "legally and financially responsible for all Tides Center projects and activities" and that "[p]rojects are not separate entities or affiliated organizations -- projects are Tides Center." An attorney for NPF earlier this month said Jones has not met the requirement (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/5). According to the Times, the lawsuit touches on issues concerning HIV/AIDS that are "percolating through the AIDS community," including the new racial, social and international demographics of the disease and changes in philanthropic trends. The lawsuit also has raised the issue of whether memorials are appropriate in light of other problems, such as the emergence of new drug-resistant HIV strains and an increase in unsafe sexual practices.

Comments
Michael Petrelis, a San Francisco-based writer and HIV/AIDS advocate, said, "The quilt was very effective in the late '80s and early '90s for AIDS awareness," adding, "On the other hand, there's hundreds and thousands of people that need a housing subsidy, just trying to keep a roof over their head. Should we be putting our time and money into another vigil?" Kandy Ferree, president and CEO of the National AIDS Fund, said that although she supports the quilt, she thinks its value in the AIDS community has diminished in part because it is so large and seldom seen in its entirety, the Times reports. Stop AIDS Project Executive Director Robert McMullin said that some people think that the quilt might have "lost its punch" over time. "The quilt is about loss," McMullin said, adding, "And while people are still dying, for most of us, the most important part of our message may not be about people dying." According to Jones, NAF has "taken it upon" itself to "decommission one of the most powerful weapons we have." He added that the quilt is not "intended as a passive memorial." The San Francisco Board of Supervisors earlier this month adopted a resolution that said it would be an "unconscionable and unthinkable offense against the citizenry of San Francisco" if portions of the quilt are not returned to the city, the Times reports. Some HIV/AIDS advocates also have suggested that the quilt be placed in a new San Francisco museum devoted to HIV/AIDS (New York Times, 1/31).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

UNHCR Launches Policy To Provide Refugees With Access To Antiretroviral Treatment

2007-04-15T22:36:00.001-07:00

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has launched a new strategy aimed at ensuring HIV-positive refugees and other displaced people worldwide have access to antiretroviral treatment, care and support, IRIN News reports. The policy addresses both long-term and shorter-term antiretroviral provisions, such as post-exposure prophylaxis for sexual assault survivors and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. According to the new policy, antiretroviral drugs will be planned for and included in the "earliest possible stages of an emergency response to forced displacement," IRIN reports. The strategy also outlines interventions for refugees who were receiving treatment in their home countries, those who were not on a regimen before displacement and those voluntarily returning to their home countries. In cases where repatriation is impending, refugees should be permitted and assisted to return to areas where they can access antiretrovirals, according to the policy. The policy also says that it is practical to provide access to antiretrovirals to refugees in the medium- to long-term because they often live for several years in somewhat stable environments, IRIN reports. "In certain situations ... the refugees have had difficulty accessing ARVs, and even those in urban areas sometimes failed to get treated within the national programs of the host countries," Paul Spiegel, UNHCR's senior HIV/AIDS technical officer, said, adding, "The way many of them have been accessing the drugs is innovative but has largely not been standardized." Spiegel said that UNHCR makes efforts to provide equal distribution of services to host populations. "We'd like to see refugees able to get the drugs the same way local populations do," he said, adding, "We are advocating for governments to include refugees' ARV needs in their proposals for funding" from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria" and other agencies. According to UNHCR estimates, refugees comprise between 25,000 and 35,000 of the nearly 6.5 million people worldwide who need antiretrovirals, IRIN reports (IRIN News, 1/29).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

HIV Testing Should Be Conducted Among Inmates Entering, Exiting Prisons, Editorial Says

2007-04-15T21:38:00.001-07:00

A bill expected to be introduced soon in the House that would require inmates to be tested for HIV as they enter and exit federal prisons is a "step in the right direction," a Los Angeles Times editorial says. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), would make routine HIV testing part of the comprehensive medical exam inmates receive when they enter prisons and would provide counseling before and after the test, the editorial says. In addition, the bill would give prisoners the option to opt out of the test and would increase HIV education programs for inmates and confidentiality training for prison staff, according to the Times. Waters introduced a similar bill last year, according to the editorial. Although research indicates that male prisoners are three to five times more likely to be HIV-positive than people in the general population, most prisons conduct HIV tests only when an inmate exhibits symptoms of HIV or when "body fluids have been exchanged in detectable incidents, such as fights," according to the Times. In addition, because two-thirds of inmates in the U.S. are black or Hispanic men, the "consequences of unprotected sex in prisons have been particularly devastating for minority communities," the editorial says. The editorial adds that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men, as well as among the female partners of former inmates, has "skyrocketed." According to the editorial, when Waters announced the bill, she "lambasted national leaders" for their "morally reprehensible" silence on HIV/AIDS and said that fear and stigma should not block efforts to reduce the spread of HIV. However, the editorial adds that after Waters introduced the similar bill last year, the American Civil Liberties Union, members of Congress and other groups "lined up against" mandatory HIV testing, "arguing that HIV-positive inmates endure violence and discrimination." According to the editorial, not testing inmates would be "deliberate and potentially life-threatening ignorance" and is not a solution to the problems of violence and discrimination. The editorial says that mandatory HIV testing in prisons is "vital not just for the health of inmates and their partners but for policymakers in understanding what goes on in the nation's disgracefully dysfunctional prisons," concluding, "Now if only the state of California would follow suit" (Los Angeles Times, 1/31).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Global Fund Board Names Three Finalists For Executive Director Position

2007-04-15T21:35:00.001-07:00

Unnamed officials said to be close to the process of naming a new executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Tuesday confirmed that the group has selected three finalists, the Boston Globe reports. According to the officials, the finalists are Michel Kazatchkine, a former Global Fund vice chair and France's global ambassador for HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases; David Nabarro, a senior World Health Organization administrator leading United Nations efforts to fight avian flu and pandemic flu; and Alex Coutinho, manager of AIDS treatment programs in Uganda (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 1/31). A previous report indicated that Nabarro leads the list of three candidates for the position. The Global Fund in November 2006 called off plans to name a new executive director to succeed Richard Feachem -- whose contract ends in March -- and launched a new search. Board members at closed meetings in November 2006 were unable to agree on one of two finalists. The final two candidates were Kazatchkine and Michel Sidibe, director of UNAIDS' country and regional support department, according to meeting participants. Sidibe withdrew his candidacy for the position. According to a previous report, a nomination committee in January named nine candidates for the executive direction position (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). The Global Fund board is scheduled to meet next week in Geneva to select an executive director, and the decision might be made as early as Feb. 8 (Boston Globe, 1/31).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Australian Government To Consider $10M Safer-Sex Campaign Following Increase In Recorded HIV Cases

2007-04-15T20:38:00.001-07:00

The Australian government is considering a four-year, $10 million safer-sex campaign following a 41% increase in the number of new HIV cases in the country recorded from 2000 to 2005, the Daily Telegraph reports. A ministerial task force -- led by Michael Wooldridge, chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatitis and former health minister -- recommended the campaign (Daily Telegraph, 1/30). According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the campaign will target men who have sex with men, who account for 80% of HIV cases in the country. Wooldridge said the first step in the campaign is to research why the number of HIV cases has increased in all Australian states except New South Wales. "This is something we have given a lot of thought to, ... we think it is prudent given the rise in infections to have a carefully targeted campaign," Wooldridge said, adding, "Clearly there is a whole younger generation who are missing the message, combined with safe sex fatigue from in their 30s who are not seeing the threat (of HIV)." According to Don Baxter, executive director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, the campaign will be cost-effective if it is targeted at the right population and will save approximately $450,000 for each averted new HIV case. Wooldridge urged the government to implement the program as quickly as possible and said that some states, including Victoria, are at risk of reporting the highest number of HIV cases since the 1980s. Although the campaign has not been developed, Health Minister Tony Abbott said it would not use scare tactics like Australia's "Grim Reaper" HIV campaign, which was implemented in the 1980s. Baxter said such a campaign would be rejected by viewers (Pollard, Sydney Morning Herald, 1/31). According to Baxter, the campaign should target MSM through the country's mainstream media. "I think one of the missing parts of our response is social marketing on mainstream media," he said, adding that because the gay community has "become more mainstream" in the last 10 or 15 years, HIV prevention messages should be directed toward MSM through mainstream media outlets. Funding for the campaign will be approved in the next budget, the Australia Broadcast Corporation reports (Australian Broadcast Corporation, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Cambodia Must Focus On MSM Population To Combat Spread Of HIV, UNAIDS Official Says

2007-04-15T20:35:00.001-07:00

Cambodia must focus on its "hidden" population of men who have sex with men, including those who also have sex with women, to combat the spread of HIV in the country, UNAIDS Cambodian coordinator Tony Lisle said recently, IRIN/Reuters AlertNet reports. Although Cambodia has made significant gains in the fight against the disease, it still has an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 1.6%, the highest in the region, according to UNAIDS estimates. A study conducted by Family Health International in 2004 among 1,306 MSM in the country found that there were four times as many "masculine acting" MSM -- who are locally called "short-haired" MSM and have sex with one another -- than transgender MSM -- who are called "long-haired" MSM and have sexual partners from both groups. In addition, a recent survey conducted by the Cambodian National Centre for HIV/AIDS Dermatology and STDs in three provinces -- Phnom Penh, Batdambang and Siem Riep -- found that 58% of MSM surveyed reported having sex with female partners in the previous year. Of the 58% of MSM who reported having sex with a female partner, almost 25% said they had sex with a female commercial sex worker, and 16.6% said they had sex with casual female partners in the previous month. A recent report conducted by Therapeutics Research, Education and AIDS Training found that "short-haired" MSM are more likely to receive money for sex -- 20% regularly and 41% occasionally. The report also found that misconceptions persist among MSM concerning HIV transmission and that male sex workers often are unable to negotiate condom use and generally do not use lubricant. According to UNAIDS, fewer than one in 20 MSM in Cambodia have access to HIV prevention and care services. Although the government has begun to acknowledge MSM in its HIV prevention programs, nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations have only begun recently implementing programs to reach the population, according to government researchers. "When you have a very dense network, and when you have crossovers in the network between males and females, in the presence of high risk of [sexually transmitted infections] and in the presence of low condom usage, then you have a potential for an explosive epidemic," Lisle said. Sear Young Tan of the National MSM Network -- which aims to eliminate stigma and discrimination against MSM and promote equal access to HIV information and services -- said educating "short-haired" MSM must be an integral part of the country's HIV prevention efforts (IRIN/Reuters AlertNet, 1/30).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

In Hematopoietic Stem Cells P21 Stops HIV-1 In Its Tracks

2007-04-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are one of the few cell types able to resist infection with HIV-1 despite expressing the cell surface molecules to which HIV-1 binds before entering a cell. In a study that appears in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, show that HSC expression of a protein known as p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 (p21) is required for HSCs to be resistant to infection with HIV-1.

David Scadden and colleagues showed that HSCs in which expression of p21 was decreased were more susceptible to infection with HIV-1 than cells expressing normal levels of p21. Further analysis showed that p21 did not inhibit HIV-1 entering the cells, rather it prevented the viral DNA integrating into the host cell genome by binding to the HIV-1 integrase complex and preventing it from mediating chromosomal integration. This protective mechanism was specific for HIV-1, as decreased expression of p21 in HSCs did not allow a related virus (SIVmac-251) to productively infect the HSCs. This study therefore identifies p21 as a protective factor that prevents HSCs being infected with HIV-1.

In an accompanying commentary, Paul D. Bieniasz from the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, New York, discusses how this study adds p21 to an ever-growing list of cellular proteins that alter the sensitivity of a cell to infection with HV-1, but cautions that "it would seem premature to dub p21 a bona fide restriction factor." (a protein whose major, and perhaps only, role is to prevent retrovirus replication).

TITLE: Primitive hematopoietic cells resist HIV-1 infection via p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1

AUTHOR CONTACT: David T. Scadden
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Clyde S. Crumpacker
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY

TITLE: An intrinsic host defense against HIV-1 integration?

AUTHOR CONTACT:
Paul D. Bieniasz
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.

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JCI table of contents: Feb. 1, 2007

Contact: Karen Honey
Journal of Clinical Investigation

30+ AIDS Vaccine Clinical Trials In 24 Countries, Research Occurring On Every Continent

2007-04-15T19:35:00.001-07:00

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's (IAVI) January 2007 Annual Issue of VAX, an editorially independent bulletin on AIDS vaccine research published by IAVI, reports that 13 new preventive AIDS vaccine trials were initiated in eight countries around the world in 2006. There are now more than 30 trials ongoing in 24 countries, across every continent.

This annual publication provides the only comprehensive listing of all AIDS vaccine clinical trial activity worldwide.

Last year saw the start of the first AIDS vaccine trials in the Russian Federation and Zambia, and three countries in sub-Saharan Africa - Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania - also initiated new trials. The United States, United Kingdom, Sweden and Peru began new trials in 2006 as well. Many of these trials were sponsored by new research groups, including the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, St. George's University of London and the Moscow Institute of Immunology.

All of the new trials that began last year were either Phase I or Phase I/II trials designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccines. "Although these new trials are early-stage, they will provide critical information over the coming years that will help drive the field's R&D agenda. We hope to begin to see even more novel vectors, as well as approaches that target neutralizing antibodies in the next few years," said CEO and President of IAVI, Dr. Seth Berkley.

IAVI and its collaborators are currently conducting four ongoing trials in India, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa and the United States. In 2006, IAVI launched a Phase II trial in Uganda and Zambia, part of a multi-site study that also included three sites in South Africa. The South Africa, Uganda and Zambia trial sites are now fully enrolled with data expected later this year.

Two of the most advanced trials underway in 2007 are from Sanofi-Pasteur and Merck & Co., Inc. Data from Merck's ongoing Phase IIb test-of-concept trial with its adeno-5 vector vaccine candidate is expected in 2008 or 2009 and will provide preliminary information on the efficacy of this type of vaccine candidate. These results will have significant implications for the field's future research and development efforts. The company will also soon be starting an additional Phase IIb trial with the same candidate in South Africa.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 4.3 million people were newly infected with HIV last year - bringing the total number of HIV-infected individuals to 40 million people worldwide. Explosive HIV epidemics also continue in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Throughout the world, a preventive AIDS vaccine remains one of the greatest hopes for stemming the pandemic.

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The 2006 IAVI VAX Map, which provides detailed information on all ongoing preventive AIDS vaccine trials, is available at http://www.iavireport.org/Vax/VAXJanuary2007.asp.

About IAVI

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996 and operational in 24 countries, IAVI and its network of collaborators research and develop vaccine candidates. IAVI's financial and in-kind supporters include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The John D. Evans Foundation, The New York Community Trust, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Starr Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Basque Autonomous Government as well as the European Union; multilateral organizations such as The World Bank; corporate donors including BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.), Continental Airlines, Google Inc., Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer Inc; leading AIDS charities such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Until There's A Cure Foundation; other private donors such as The Haas Trusts; and many generous individuals from around the world. For more information, see http://www.iavi.org/.

Contact: Katherine Moore
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

Data Published In AIDS Show Viramune (nevirapine) Achieves Durable Benefit In Switch Patients

2007-04-15T18:38:00.001-07:00

Long-term data from the Nevirapine/Efavirenz/Abacavir (NEFA) study demonstrate that patients who switched from a protease inhibitor-based regimen to a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimen containing Viramune (nevirapine) or efavirenz achieved comparable efficacy and safety to their previous regimen and were more likely to maintain virologic suppression after three years of follow up than patients who switched to an abacavir-containing regimen. These data were published in the 30 January issue of AIDS.

Patients may want to consider simpler regimens that can suppress the virus long term but are more tolerable and have fewer side effects than some protease inhibitor-based therapies. The findings of the NEFA study reveal that HIV-positive patients seeking effective alternatives can benefit from a switch to a treatment regimen containing a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor such as Viramune. said Esteban Martinez, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, University of Barcelona.

The NEFA study has been the largest prospective protease inhibitor switch study conducted to date. The NEFA study was a multicentre, randomized, open-label clinical trial initially designed for 1-year follow up of 460 HIV-positive adults who had previously been treated with at least one protease inhibitor plus two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The follow up was extended to 3 years following recommendations from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Patients participating in the study were required to have maintained the amount of HIV in their blood (viral load) to less than 200 copies/mL for at least six months on their protease inhibitor-based regimen containing indinavir (n=278), nelfinavir (n=135), ritonavir (n=15), saquinavir (n=13), or indinavir or saquinavir in combination with low-dose ritonavir (n=19) prior to study entry. Patients were then randomized to replace their protease inhibitor with Viramune twice daily (n=155), efavirenz once daily (n=156) or abacavir twice daily (n=149).

An intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis of patients originally randomized to switch from their protease inhibitor to Viramune, efavirenz or abacavir showed that 93.5 percent of patients who switched to Viramune, 92.9 percent of patients who switched to efavirenz and 80.5 percent of patients who switched to abacavir achieved virologic success after three years. This analysis was conducted to control for the effects of study discontinuation and switching from study medication.

In this study, the incidence of adverse events leading to discontinuation was significantly lower in the abacavir (9%) and Viramune (19%) groups than the efavirenz (25%) group. The majority of adverse events that led to discontinuation in the abacavir and Viramune arms occurred in the first weeks of the study. The most common adverse events experienced were neuropsychiatric events in the efavirenz arm and rash in the Viramune arm. While in the Viramune group adverse events occurred within the first year, neuropsychiatric adverse events that led to late discontinuation in the efavirenz group occurred steadily through three years of follow up.

About Viramune

Viramune (nevirapine) is a product of original research done at Boehringer Ingelheim. Viramune was the first member of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class of anti-HIV drugs. Viramune is indicated for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. This indication is based on one principal clinical trial that demonstrated prolonged suppression of HIV-RNA and several smaller supportive studies. Studies have also shown that patients switching to Viramune from a PI-based regimen demonstrate an improved lipid profile while maintaining viral suppression. The most clinically important adverse events associated with Viramune are rash and hepatic events, which have included fatal cases. Any patient can experience hepatic events; however, female gender and higher CD4 counts at initiation of therapy place patients at greater risk. Women with CD4+ cell counts >250 cells/mm3 are at the greatest risk. By application of the Viramune CD4+ guidelines the risk of hepatic events can be dramatically reduced. Viramune should not be initiated in adult females with CD4+ cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm3 or in adult males with CD4+ cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm3 unless the benefit outweighs the risk. The greatest risk of severe rash and hepatic events occurs in the first 6 weeks of therapy. It is essential that patients be monitored for these reactions at all times, and intensively during the first few months of therapy. Viramune should be discontinued and not restarted following severe hepatic, skin or hypersensitivity reactions.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to the research and development of novel antiretroviral agents. Apart from Viramune, Aptivus (tipranavir) is a new non-peptidic protease inhibitor, approved for combination antiretroviral treatment of HIV-1 infected adults that are highly pre-treated with virus resistant to multiple protease inhibitors. The company is involved in basic research and is committed to improving HIV therapy by providing physicians and patients with innovative antiretrovirals.

Please be advised

This release is from the Corporate Headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim and is intended for all international markets. This being the case, please be aware that there may be some differences between countries regarding specific medical information including licensed uses. Please take account of this when referring to the material.

References:

Martinez E. et al. Three-year Follow-Up of Protease Inhibitor-based Regimen Simplification in HIV-infected Patients. AIDS 2007 21(3)

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Judith von Gordon
55216 Ingelheim am Rhein
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

Bulgaria To Press Charges Against Libyan Police Officers In HIV Infection Case

2007-04-15T18:35:00.001-07:00

Thai Health Ministry Takes 'Bold Step' In Breaking Patent, Issuing Compulsory License For Antiretroviral Kaletra, Editorial Says

2007-04-15T17:38:00.001-07:00

House Passes $463B Spending Bill That Would Allocate $1.3B Increase To Fund International HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Programs

2007-04-15T17:35:00.001-07:00

Microbicide Trials Halted In Africa, India Because Of Possible Increased Risk Of HIV Transmission

2007-04-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Red Cross Launches Appeal For $50M To Expand HIV/AIDS Programs In Southern Africa

2007-04-15T16:35:00.001-07:00

Human Trial Results Show Excellent Safety Data, Positive Immune Responses From GeoVax's DNA/MVA AIDS Vaccines

2007-04-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), an Atlanta-based biotechnology company, today reported successful early results from two ongoing AIDS prevention Phase I human vaccine trials. Results from the first low dose trial indicate a good safety profile as well as positive immune responses in human volunteers receiving 1/10th dose of GeoVax's AIDS vaccine. Results from a second larger full dose trial also indicate a good safety profile in participants. The GeoVax vaccines being tested are designed to prevent the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease ("AIDS") caused by the virus known as HIV-1 by vaccinating individuals prior to infection with the AIDS virus.

Early results from GeoVax's preventative HIV/AIDS vaccine human trials:

-- Demonstrate a very acceptable safety profile in an ongoing 1/10th dose trial begun in April, 2006

-- Indicate that as low as 1/10th of a full dose of GeoVax's HIV/AIDS vaccine stimulates potentially protective anti-HIV-1 immune responses in the majority of vaccine recipients

-- Suggest an acceptable safety profile in an ongoing full dose trial begun Sept 2006

-- Suggest that a full dose of the vaccine will stimulate an even better immune response in recipients participating in the full dose trial; data is expected later in 2007

-- Support accelerated planning for a large Phase II human trial including more than 300 participants across North and South America and the Caribbean and with an earlier start date than originally anticipated

The 1/10th dose trial, begun April, 2006, is evaluating GeoVax's AIDS vaccines primarily for their safety and potential efficacy as a preventative vaccine administered to people prior to infection with the HIV-1 virus, thus preventing the development of AIDS. A positive human immune response to the vaccine is indicated by the presence of antibodies and T cells (white blood cells) that recognize and control viral infections.

"We are very encouraged by the positive immune responses in six human volunteers receiving only 1/10th of a dose of vaccine," said Dr. Harriet Robinson, GeoVax's Chief Scientific Advisor and developer of the AIDS vaccine. "This trial group consisted of 11 volunteers, with two individuals that received no vaccine as part of the blinded study. In this group, only 1/10th of a dose of GeoVax's DNA vaccine was administered at week 0 and at week 8 to prime the immune response. The immune response was then boosted by administration of 1/10th of a dose of GeoVax's MVA vaccine at week 16 and again at week 24."

The vaccine response was determined in tests conducted on human blood samples collected after vaccination. These assays were conducted at the Emory University Vaccine Center under the guidance of Dr. Harriet Robinson.

Based on the excellent safety demonstrated in the 1/10th dose vaccine trial, a full dose human trial started in September, 2006. Thus far, the trial has enrolled 36 volunteers. Thirty of the volunteers received the vaccine, while six control subjects received a placebo (no vaccine). The full dose of AIDS vaccine approximates the dose size that protected 22 of 23 (96%) of non- human primates for more than 3 1/2 years against development of AIDS. The immune response generated in the majority of volunteers receiving 1/10th dose of GeoVax's vaccines suggests that the vaccines, when administered at full dose, may elicit outstanding responses.

More information will be released on the full dose trial when available later in 2007. GeoVax's AIDS vaccines contain only part of the HIV-1 virus and cannot cause AIDS. These vaccines contain the three major genes of the HIV- 1/AIDS virus and mimic actual virus infections by producing non-infectious HIV-like particles in vaccinated individuals.

The human trials, utilizing GeoVax's AIDS vaccines, are being conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), based in Seattle, Washington. The HVTN, which is funded and supported by the National Institutes of Health, is the largest worldwide clinical trials program devoted to the development and testing of HIV/AIDS vaccines. Preclinical work enabling development of the clinical evaluation of GeoVax's DNA and MVA vaccines was also funded and supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether; GeoVax can develop these vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's vaccines will be determined to be safe for use in humans, GeoVax's vaccines will be effective in preventing AIDS in humans, the vaccines will receive the regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax can raise the required capital to complete development of its vaccines, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax's products, and other factors over which GeoVax has no control. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so. Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements involving certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitations, risks detailed in the Companies Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports.

GeoVax Labs, Inc.
http://www.geovax.com/

Reports, Programming Launched Ahead Of Annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

2007-04-15T15:35:00.001-07:00

Wednesday marks the seventh annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is sponsored by the Community Capacity Building Coalition, a consortium of national minority-focused groups supported by CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. The CCBC includes Concerned Black Men of Philadelphia, the Health Watch Information and Promotion Service, the Jackson State University-Mississippi Urban Research Center, the National Black Alcoholism and Addictions Council and the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. The goal of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is to motivate black people to "get tested" for HIV, "get educated" about how the virus is transmitted, "get involved" in community HIV/AIDS programs and "get treated" if they are HIV-positive (NBHAAD Web site, 2/2). Ahead of NBHAAD, CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released a study about HIV among blacks in Florida, and BET announced it will launch three HIV/AIDS-themes programs. Summaries of those efforts appear below.

"HIV/AIDS Diagnoses Among Blacks -- Florida, 1999-2004," MMWR: According to an analysis from the Florida Department of Health released in the Feb. 2 issue of MMWR, new HIV cases among blacks residing in Florida has decreased by an average of more than 8% annually among men and more than 10% annually among women from 1999 to 2004, the AP/Gainesville Sun reports (Royse, AP/Gainesville Sun, 2/1). HIV incidence among blacks nationwide has decreased by an average of 5% annually since 2001, declining from 88.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2001 to 76.3 cases per 100,000 in 2004. However, blacks in 2004 were 8.4 times more likely than whites to be newly diagnosed with HIV (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/7/06). In Florida, HIV incidence among blacks dropped from 224 cases per 100,000 people in 1999 to 134 cases per 100,000 in 2004, the study found. According to the AP/Sun, the study's findings indicate that the decline is not because of a reduction in HIV testing among blacks, which increased during the study period. State health researchers also found that new cases of gonorrhea declined among blacks statewide during the same period by more than 7% annually, which indicates that the drop in both might be associated with a decrease in risky sexual behavior. Some health officials and advocates said that although they welcomed the study's findings, HIV among blacks is still high and the disparity between whites and blacks still persists (AP/Gainesville Sun, 2/1). According to the study, HIV incidence among whites in Florida was recorded at 18.8 cases per 100,000 population in 1999 and 18.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2004 (MMWR, 2/1).

BET from Feb. 4 to Feb. 18 will launch three HIV/AIDS-themed programs aimed at addressing HIV/AIDS-related issues faced by black adolescents and young people -- including stigma, discrimination against men who have sex with men, HIV testing, substance abuse, and the impact of the disease on personal relationships and family. The broadcasts will begin at 12 p.m. ET/PT on Feb. 4 with "Reflections" -- the winning short film from the first Scenarios USA/Rap-It-Up National Story and Scriptwriting Contest -- with encore broadcasts on Feb. 7 at 11 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. BET also will air a 30-minute documentary on the making of the short film -- "Behind the Scenes: Reflections" -- on Feb. 4 at 12:30 p.m., as well as "Odicie" -- the winner of the third annual Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition -- on Feb. 18 at 12:30 p.m. In addition, BET News on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. will air a 30-minute show that examines common misconceptions that many young people hold about the disease. BET since 1998 has partnered with the Kaiser Family Foundation on Rap-It-Up, a public education campaign to inform young people about sexual health issues, including HIV/AIDS (BET/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 1/24).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

New Compound Shows Promise In Halting HIV Spread

2007-04-15T14:39:00.001-07:00

A new compound has shown promise in halting the spread of HIV by preventing the virus from replicating. Developed by Temple University researchers, 2-5AN6B could someday work as an effective treatment for HIV especially in conjunction with current drug treatments. Their work is published in the January issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

A nucleic acid, 2-5AN6B inhibited HIV replication in white blood cells from a group of 18 HIV infected patients by up to 80 percent, regardless of the patients' treatment regimens.

"A cure for HIV infection remains an elusive goal despite the significant impact of current treatments because of the virus' ability to adapt to and resist those treatments, and bypass the immune system's natural defenses," said Robert J. Suhadolnik, Ph.D., prinicipal investigator and professor of biochemistry at Temple University School of Medicine. "This compound prompts the body to restore its natural antiviral defense systems against the invading virus."

Current drugs for HIV work by blocking one of the steps toward virus replication.

"This new anti-HIV compound works by a very different mechanism, and would appear to offer the promise of someday being combined with existing anti-viral therapies for a much more effective treatment. It is also very important that this compound is much less likely to be defeated by the ability of the virus to mutate, a problem often encountered with existing anti-viral drugs," said Thomas Rogers, Ph.D., co-author and professor of pharmacology at Temple.

This work builds on decades of research by the Temple team which was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue pre-clinical studies on a larger scale. They'll be investigating the molecular mechanisms of 2-5AN6B as a potential weapon against HIV, and continue work on a new therapeutic approach involving gene therapy for the treatment of HIV infection.

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The other researchers on the team are Dessislava Dimitrova, M.D., Nancy Reichenbach, Xiaowei Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Wolfgang Pfleiderer, Ph.D., Ramamurthy Charubula, Ph.D., John Gaughan, Ph.D., Byungse Suh, M.D., Ph.D. and Earl Henderson, Ph.D, co-investigator. The work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Contact: Eryn Jelesiewicz
Temple University

Studies Examine HIV Dementia In Sub-Saharan Africa, CDC's HIV Prevention Budget

2007-04-15T14:35:00.001-07:00

The following highlights recently released studies on HIV/AIDS.

"Frequency of and Risk Factors for HIV Dementia in an HIV Clinic in Sub-Saharan Africa," Neurology: Ned Sacktor, a neurologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted the study among 178 people in Kampala, Uganda, from September 2003 to January 2004, Xinhuanet reports. Seventy-eight of the participants were HIV-positive and 100 were HIV-negative (Xinhuanet, 1/30). The study found that 31% of participants in the HIV-positive group, or about 25 people, had HIV dementia, while none of the HIV-negative participants had the condition (Fox, Reuters South Africa, 1/29). Researchers characterized HIV dementia as memory, learning, behavioral and motor disabilities that interfere with daily activities and could lead to incapacitation. They diagnosed the dementia by examining participants' medical histories, as well as the results of a series of comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological tests and functional assessments, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 1/30). "If the rate we saw in our study translates across sub-Saharan Africa, we're looking at more than eight million people in this region with HIV dementia," Sacktor said (Reuters South Africa, 1/29). According to researchers, HIV dementia can be treated and potentially reversed with the same antiretroviral drugs used to treat the virus, and treatment can sometimes restore normal cognitive function, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 1/30).

"HIV Incidence and CDC's HIV Prevention Budget: An Exploratory Correlational Analysis," American Journal of Preventive Medicine: David Holtgrave of Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health and Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation examined the relationship between CDC's HIV prevention budget and HIV incidence in the U.S. from 1978 to 2006. The study found that from the beginning of the epidemic to 1985, when new HIV cases peaked in the U.S., HIV incidence predicted levels of investment. During this period, increased amounts of funding were allocated to HIV prevention programs as new HIV cases increased each year. From the mid-1980s, the level of investment predicted incidence, the study found. During this period, the U.S. continued to increase funding for HIV prevention programs, and the number of new cases decreased from 160,000 annually to about 40,000 annually, according to the study. In the early 1990s, as the level of investment leveled out, so did the number of new annual HIV cases, the study found. "Our analysis helps explain why the number of new HIV infections has remained at 40,000 per year for over 15 years," Holtgrave said, adding, "Investment levels have predicted HIV incidence since the mid-1980s. If we want to lower infections further in the U.S., these analyses suggest we should consider increasing our national investment" in HIV prevention programs. Holtgrave said that because the study is based on historical data, it is subject to methodological limitations (JHSPH release, 1/31).

New York Times Examines Dynamics Between Bush Administration, Congress On Increased Funding For International HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Programs

2007-04-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

The New York Times on Friday examined recent efforts by the Democrat-led House "to rescue" one of President Bush's "international priorities: the global fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis" (Dugger, New York Times, 2/2). The House on Wednesday voted 286-140 to approve a $463 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year 2007 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria programs. The resolution would bring the total for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to $4.5 billion. PEPFAR is a five-year, $15 billion program that directs funding for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria primarily to 15 focus countries and provides funding to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The $4.5 billion for PEPFAR includes $3.2 billion for the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative, $712 million for USAID's Child Survival and Health Program, and $494 million for CDC and HHS global HIV/AIDS activities, according to a House Appropriations Committee summary. Of these amounts, $724 million would be allocated for the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund, with $625 million coming from the State Department and USAID, and $99 million from HHS. In addition, $248 million would be allocated to expand programs under the President's Malaria Initiative, an increase of $149 million (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/1). The Senate is expected to consider the bill as early as next week. Although the Bush administration's "drive for a rapid strengthening" of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria programs had been "caught in limbo," the budget approval by the House "suggests the deepening of political support for foreign aid programs," according to the Times. In addition, the steps taken by Congress this week on global health issues "provides a marker of how much both parties have changed" since the administration of former President Clinton because both Democrats and Republicans now must "compete to claim the mantle of leadership" on foreign aid, the Times reports. Aid to Africa under the Bush administration has increased to more than twice the level of any previous administration and more than triple that achieved during the Clinton administration, according to an analysis by the Center for Global Development. "The politics of aid in this country probably has shifted on push-button issues like HIV/AIDS," Todd Moss, a senior CGD fellow, said, adding, "It's the longer-term development that's much harder to do and build political backing for. Those are the things that will come under pressure in a Washington with a split government" (New York Times, 2/2).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

India To Establish 'Safe Zones' To Reduce HIV Transmission Among Migrant Workers

2007-04-15T13:35:00.001-07:00

India's National AIDS Control Organization on Thursday announced that it will track migrant worker populations in cities and establish "safe zones" for the workers where they can access HIV peer education, HIV testing centers and condoms, Reuters UK reports. The safe zones will be established under the third phase of NACO's National AIDS Control Plan, which has been allocated a budget of $1.8 billion. About 75% of the control plan's third phase budget is allocated for prevention efforts among high-risk groups, including migrant workers and commercial sex workers. About one-fourth of India's population travels throughout the country annually in search of work. According to NACO Director General Sujatha Rao, the new plan will focus on about 5% of migrant workers in the country. According to Reuters UK, more than half of HIV-positive people in the country live in rural areas, and the virus is spreading because male migrants who travel to cities for work have sex with commercial sex workers and then have sex with their wives when they return home. About half of India's estimated two million sex workers use condoms, and NACO over the next three to four years hopes to increase condom use to 80% among sex workers. In addition, the country by March will increase the number of government treatment centers that provide antiretroviral drugs from 101 to 121. According to NACO, the country's free treatment programs are hindered because an estimated 86% of HIV-positive people in the country are not aware of their status (Zaheer, Reuters UK, 2/1).

Indian State To Require HIV Tests for Married Couples, Politicians
In related news, the Indian state Karnataka plans to pass legislation that would require HIV tests for couples planning to marry and for politicians entering the state Legislature, the Indo-Asian News Service/Daily India reports. Nearly 10% of HIV-positive people in India, or 500,000 people, live in Karnataka, and the state's HIV prevalence is 1.56%, according to the Karnataka State HIV/AIDS Society. According to the Karnataka Health Minister R. Ashok, the state will require the tests for politicians to encourage others to be tested for HIV. India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is opposed to mandatory testing, but Ashok said the issue is a state matter, according to Indo-Asian News Service/Daily India. "The state government is free to take new initiatives to control health problems like AIDS," Ashok said, adding, "We know the sensitivity of the issue, but the government needs to do something for the larger benefit of [the] people." The Indian state Andhra Pradesh is planning similar legislation, the Indo-Asian News Service/Daily India reports (Nanda, Indo-Asian News Service/Daily India, 1/31).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Armenian AIDS Commission Approves HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Targeting Teenagers, Young People, Official Says

2007-04-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

The Armenian Country Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Issues has approved an HIV/AIDS prevention program for 2007 through 2011 targeting teenagers and young people, Samvel Grigoryan, director of the country's National Center for AIDS Prevention, said recently, ARKA News Agency reports. The country by the end of last year recorded 429 HIV/AIDS cases, 74.4% of which occurred among people ages 29 to 39, and 14.5% of which occurred among people ages 10 to 24, according to ARKA News Agency. Of the recorded cases, 52% occurred through injection drug use and 40.3% through heterosexual sex, and there were three cases of mother-to-child HIV transmission (ARKA News Agency, 2/1). According to a report conducted by a multidisciplinary team with support from UNAIDS, UNICEF and NCAP, prevention programs targeting teenagers and young people are essential to combat the spread of HIV in Armenia, a UNICEF release reports. The report found that 30% of young commercial sex workers, 40% of young injection drug users and less than 50% of young men who have sex with men have a clear understanding of how HIV is transmitted and prevented. The report also found that only 12% of adolescents between ages 10 and 19 living in institutions have sufficient knowledge of HIV prevention. According to the release, Armenia has incorporated the report's recommendations into its national HIV/AIDS prevention program for 2007 to 2011. The recommendations include involving young people in HIV awareness campaigns and peer education programs; ensuring that schools address the disease openly and include it in life skills lessons; creating accessible youth-friendly health care and advisory services; encouraging more inclusive attitudes towards HIV-positive people and those at high risk of transmission; and ensuring a strong gender focus in HIV/AIDS-related policies (UNICEF release, 1/30). According to Grigoryan, the draft program has been submitted to the Armenian government for final approval (ARKA News Agency, 2/1).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Phase III Trials Of Cellulose Sulfate Microbicide For HIV Prevention Closed

2007-04-15T12:35:00.001-07:00

CONRAD, a reproductive health research organization, has announced that it has halted a Phase III clinical trial of cellulose sulfate -- a topical microbicide gel being tested for HIV prevention in women -- because preliminary results indicated that cellulose sulfate could lead to an increased risk of HIV infection in women who use the compound. The trial was being conducted in South Africa, Benin, Uganda, and India.

Simultaneously, Family Health International (FHI) has halted a second Phase III cellulose sulfate trial in Nigeria. Although the FHI trial did not detect an increased HIV risk associated with cellulose sulfate, the decision was made as a precautionary measure, given the preliminary results in the CONRAD trial. Cellulose sulfate (CS) was one of four microbicides currently in effectiveness trials for prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

At this point, it is not clear why use of cellulose sulfate was associated with an increased risk of HIV infection in the CONRAD trial. The Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC), an independent advisory group of experts overseeing the trial, will conduct a detailed review of the data to better understand the findings, and help determine any implications for other microbicide studies.

Dr. Lut Van Damme, principal investigator of the CONRAD trial, stated: "It was our hope that this product would have helped women in protecting themselves from HIV. While the findings are unexpected and disappointing, we will learn scientifically important information from this trial that will inform future HIV prevention research."

The microbicide, also known as Ushercell, is a cotton-based compound developed by Polydex Pharmaceuticals, based in Toronto, Canada. Prior to beginning the Phase III efficacy trials, there were 11 earlier safety and contraceptive trials on cellulose sulfate involving more than 500 participants in Africa, India, and the U.S. -- none of which identified safety concerns.

Recruitment for the CONRAD Phase III study began in July 2005. The study was conducted in areas of the world where HIV risk is greatest, and where infection occurs primarily through heterosexual intercourse. Half of the participating women were given cellulose sulfate, and half a placebo gel, in a double-blinded randomized trial design. All participants received intensive HIV prevention counseling at each monthly visit and all women were given high-quality condoms free of charge. Participants received regular testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Pregnant women were not included in the study.

Participants were admitted into the study only after receiving detailed information about the purpose of the study and the possible health benefits and risks. During this process, their understanding of the study was assessed prior to their signing a consent form. Each trial site is linked to local organizations that provide care for women who become HIV-infected during the trial. As part of the trial preparation, CONRAD set aside funding for women who become HIV-positive during the trial to ensure adequate health care, including HIV antiretroviral treatment when needed.

Jeff Spieler, Chief of USAID's Research, Technology and Utilization Division, Office of Population and Reproductive Health said, "I am surprised and disappointed by these findings given the pre-clinical effectiveness and safety profile of CS, and its safety profile demonstrated in Phase I trials. I believe strongly that the field learns a great deal from every study, even those with disappointing results. The effort and resources that have been expended in terms of site and infrastructure development, training of clinical and laboratory staff, and community involvement activities will help move the field forward and pave the way to future studies." He continued, "I am also hopeful that one or more of the other microbicide candidates now in Phase III trials, and the next generation of products under development, will be shown to be safe and effective in helping to prevent HIV infection along with other behavioral interventions."

"Developing new tools to prevent HIV -- particularly for women -- is an urgent priority," said Dr. Henry Gabelnick, Executive Director of CONRAD. "We are committed to learning as much as possible from the trials of cellulose sulfate, and will use that knowledge to continue searching for compounds and collecting evidence to find a successful microbicide. Continued support for microbicide research is critical to our eventual success."

Cellulose Sulfate: Clinical Trial History (Safety and Efficacy)

Overview:

Prior to initiating two HIV prevention trials, CONRAD sponsored 11 clinical trials of cellulose sulfate (CS) involving 518 women and 48 men in the CS arms. These studies fall into four categories as follows:

* Safety studies in women -- 5

* Safety studies in men -- 2

* Other (safety of CS when used with a diaphragm and MRI imaging)- 2

* Contraceptive effectiveness studies - 2

Most of the trials were undertaken in the United States (7), one was done in Europe, and three in countries where the HIV prevention trials were expected to be carried out. The contraceptive effectiveness trials were carried out in the United States in mutually monogamous populations at low risk for STIs in which condom counseling was not required.

The safety studies in women and men varied in terms of control group (inactive sexual lubricant such as K-Y? Jelly or active spermicidal gel such as Conceptrol®), frequency of use (once, twice, or four times daily), duration of use (6-14 days), sexual activity (abstinent or active), and HIV status of participants (infected or uninfected). Endpoints included signs and symptoms of genital irritation, colposcopic findings, changes in vaginal microflora and, in some cases, vaginal inflammatory markers, and responses on acceptability questionnaires. The contraceptive studies used the prevention of pregnancy as the primary endpoint. The results of these studies have indicated that CS was as safe, acceptable, and effective as marketed spermicides and sexual lubricants.

The initial safety study was begun in 1999 and the contraceptive effectiveness trial was completed in July, 2006. The results of all eleven clinical studies to date have indicated that CS was as safe, acceptable, and effective as marketed spermicides and sexual lubricants.

###

CONRAD is a cooperating agency of USAID committed to improving reproductive health by expanding the contraceptive choices of women and men and by helping to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. CONRAD is administered through the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, VA and headquartered in Arlington, VA.

Contact: Annette Larkin
CONRAD

African-American Women Who Have Received HIV Treatment Are Sought To Participate In GRACE Study

2007-04-15T11:38:00.001-07:00

The GRACE study (Gender, Race And Clinical Experience) is now recruiting participants for the largest clinical study to date in treatment-experienced adult women with HIV to evaluate gender and race differences in response to an HIV medication. On the occasion of the seventh annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7, the study's sponsor, Tibotec Therapeutics Clinical Affairs, a division of Ortho Biotech Clinical Affairs, LLC, is seeking to raise awareness among African-American women of the trial and its importance to the treatment of HIV.

Today, women account for nearly one-third of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., and rates of HIV infection are particularly high among women of color. African-American women, who represent only 13% of the U.S. female population, account for 64% of female AIDS cases.

"We expect GRACE will be an historic study because HIV treatment trials in treatment-experienced populations have traditionally included small numbers of women and people of color, especially in the earliest studies of new antiretroviral agents. We know that there are gender- and race-specific complications associated with HIV disease. However, we do not know a great deal about how gender and race impact the efficacy and side effects of HIV medications," said Debbie Hagins, M.D., Clinical Director of Outpatient Services, a Ryan White funded clinic in Savannah, GA, and an investigator in the GRACE study.

GRACE, a multi-center, open-label Phase IIIb trial, will compare gender differences in the efficacy, safety and tolerability of PREZISTA (darunavir) tablets administered with ritonavir and other antiretroviral agents over a 48-week treatment period. The study also will explore racial differences in treatment outcomes. Eligibility is open to men and women of all races.

PREZISTA, co-administered with 100 mg ritonavir (PREZISTA/r) and with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in antiretroviral treatment-experienced adult patients, such as those with HIV-1 strains resistant to more than one protease inhibitor. PREZISTA received accelerated approval based on the 24- week analysis of HIV viral load and CD4+ cell counts from the pooled analysis of the TMC114-C213 (POWER 1) and TMC114-C202 (POWER 2) studies. Longer-term data will be required before the FDA can consider traditional approval for PREZISTA (see the full indication and important safety information below).

"As an African-American woman living with HIV for more than 20 years, I am encouraged to see studies like GRACE that are designed to learn more about HIV treatment in treatment-experienced African-Americans and women in the U.S." said Rae Lewis-Thornton, a renowned AIDS activist and Emmy Award-winning journalist. "GRACE is an example of the steps that need to be taken to address the evolving HIV epidemic in the African-American community, and those who participate in GRACE will play a very important role in advancing the understanding of HIV treatment in women and people of color."

The GRACE study will include approximately 50 sites in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and will seek to enroll approximately 420 participants, 70 percent of whom will be women. Participants must be of 18 years or older, have a viral load of 1000 copies/mL or greater and have previous intolerance or failure to prior therapy consisting of a protease inhibitor and/or non- nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based highly active antiretroviral treatment regimen of at least 12 weeks. All participants will receive PREZISTA/r (600/100mg twice a day) with an optimized background regimen chosen by the investigator and based on resistance testing and prior treatment history.

Indication

PREZISTA, co-administered with 100 mg ritonavir (PREZISTA/r) and with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in antiretroviral treatment-experienced adult patients, such as those with HIV-1 strains resistant to more than one protease inhibitor.

This indication is based on Week 24 analyses of plasma HIV RNA levels and CD4+ cell counts from two controlled trials of PREZISTA/rtv in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. Both studies were conducted in clinically advanced, treatment-experienced (NRTIs, NNRTIs, and PIs) adult patients with evidence of HIV-1 replication despite ongoing antiretroviral therapy.

The following points should be considered when initiating therapy with PREZISTA/rtv:

-- Treatment history and, when available, genotypic or phenotypic testing should guide the use of PREZISTA/rtv.

-- The use of other active agents with PREZISTA/rtv is associated with a greater likelihood of treatment response.

-- The risks and benefits of PREZISTA/rtv have not been established in treatment-naГЇve adult patients or pediatric patients.

Important Safety Information

PREZISTA does not cure HIV infection or AIDS, and does not prevent passing HIV to others.

PREZISTA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to any of its ingredients.

Coadministration of PREZISTA/r is contraindicated with drugs that are highly dependent on CYP3A for clearance and have a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., astemizole, terfenadine, dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, pimozide, midazolam, or triazolam) and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious and/or life- threatening events. Coadministration is not recommended with carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, lopinavir/ritonavir, saquinavir, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, or products containing St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum).

Caution should be used when prescribing agents such as sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, or other substrates, inhibitors, or inducers of CYP3A in patients receiving PREZISTA/rtv. This list of potential drug interactions is not complete.

PREZISTA must be co-administered with 100 mg ritonavir and food to exert its therapeutic effect. Failure to correctly administer PREZISTA with ritonavir and food will result in reduced plasma concentration of darunavir that will be insufficient to achieve the desired antiviral effect. Please refer to ritonavir prescribing information for additional information on precautionary measures.

Severe skin rash, including erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, has been reported in subjects receiving PREZISTA during the clinical development program. In some cases, fever and elevations of transaminases have also been reported. In clinical trials (n=924), rash (all grades, regardless of causality) occurred in seven percent of subjects treated with PREZISTA; discontinuation due to rash was 0.3 percent. Rashes were generally mild-to-moderate, self-limiting and maculopapular. PREZISTA should be discontinued if severe rash develops.

PREZISTA should be used with caution in patients with known sulfonamide allergy.

New-onset or exacerbations of pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia, and increased bleeding in hemophiliacs have been reported in patients receiving protease inhibitors. A causal relationship between protease inhibitors and these events has not been established.

PREZISTA should be used with caution in patients with hepatic impairment. There are no data regarding the use of PREZISTA in patients with varying degrees of hepatic impairment; therefore, specific dosage recommendations cannot be made.

Redistribution and/or accumulation of body fat have been observed in patients receiving ARV therapy. The causal relationship, mechanism, and long- term consequences of these events have not been established.

Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with ARV therapy.

The potential for HIV-cross-resistance among protease inhibitors has not been fully explored in PREZISTA/rtv treated patients.

PREZISTA should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. The effects of PREZISTA on pregnant women or their unborn babies are not known.

In the pooled analysis of POWER 1 and 2 studies, the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events of at least moderate to severe intensity in patients receiving PREZISTA/rtv-containing regimen were headache (3.8 percent), diarrhea (2.3 percent), abdominal pain (2.3 percent), constipation (2.3 percent), and vomiting (1.5 percent).

Please see full Prescribing Information for more details.

About PREZISTA

PREZISTA was developed by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and is marketed in the U.S. by Tibotec Therapeutics, a division of Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.

About Tibotec Therapeutics

Tibotec Therapeutics, a division of Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., headquartered in Bridgewater, N.J., is dedicated to delivering innovative virology therapeutics that help healthcare professionals address serious unmet needs in people living with HIV.

About Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd., based in Cork, Ireland, is a pharmaceutical research and development company. The Company's main research and development facilities are in Mechelen, Belgium with offices in Yardley, PA. Tibotec is dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative HIV/AIDS drugs and anti-infectives for diseases of high unmet medical need.

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals is developing a Global Access Program to facilitate access to its antiretrovirals for patients living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The Global Access Program includes access pricing, registration, medical education for appropriate use and voluntary licensing.

Tibotec Therapeutics
http://www.tibotectherapeutics.com

Preclinical Trial Results Of GeoVax's Vaccines Demonstrate Potential To Protect Against Development Of AIDS

2007-04-15T11:35:00.001-07:00

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), an Atlanta-based biotechnology company, today reported successful results from a preclinical trial using GeoVax's vaccines for the therapeutic treatment and prevention of Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Syndrome ("AIDS") in non-human primates. The data demonstrate the effectiveness of GeoVax's DNA/MVA vaccines in controlling the Simian ("SIV") AIDS virus through immune responses raised by the vaccines. These promising results have resulted in preliminary plans to conduct human therapeutic studies utilizing GeoVax's vaccines.

In this trial, two monkeys were infected with the SIV AIDS virus and then placed on drug therapy. Thereafter, once early drug therapy had temporarily reduced virus levels, the monkeys were vaccinated with the SIV version of GeoVax's DNA/MVA vaccines. Six weeks after vaccination, drug treatment was discontinued. The SIV virus levels temporarily rose in the vaccinated individuals, but were later "controlled" (reduced to much lower levels) by immune responses raised by the vaccines.

The reduction of virus levels in the blood stream of these AIDS virus- infected non-human primates has continued for more than a year to date. Vaccination with the GeoVax DNA/MVA vaccines has curtailed the development of AIDS and its associated debilitating effects, resulting in healthy, asymptomatic individuals. The monkeys have gained weight and have not required any additional drug therapy.

"The results of this trial demonstrate the long-term promise of our vaccines in treating HIV-AIDS," said Don Hildebrand, CEO of GeoVax Labs. "Our preclinical trials, coupled with encouraging data from two ongoing human trials, help validate the science behind our vaccines and provide the impetus for accelerating the planning of Phase II human trials for our preventive vaccines."

The ability to vaccinate those already infected with the AIDS virus, thereby inhibiting the virus' progressive and debilitating effects, would allow individuals to fight off normal infections, live longer and maintain a more normal lifestyle. Such a vaccine, if approved for distribution, would be considerably more cost-effective and without the same side effects associated with current drug treatment programs.

The promising results from this trial have resulted in preliminary plans to conduct human therapeutic studies utilizing GeoVax's AIDS vaccines with the hope of extending the length and quality of life in people already infected with the AIDS virus.

These studies were conducted at Emory University and were supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether; GeoVax can develop these vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's vaccines will be determined to be safe for use in humans, GeoVax's vaccines will be effective in preventing AIDS in humans, the vaccines will receive the regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax can raise the required capital to complete development of its vaccines, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax's products, and other factors over which GeoVax has no control. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so. Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements involving certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitations, risks detailed in the Companies Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports.

GeoVax Labs, Inc.
http://www.geovax.com/

Demand For Male Circumcision As HIV Prevention Method Growing In Swaziland

2007-04-15T10:38:00.001-07:00

The demand for male circumcision is beginning to "sweep" across Swaziland as people seek ways prevent to the spread of HIV, AFP/Mail and Guardian reports (Blandy, AFP/Mail and Guardian, 2/2). Data from two studies conducted in Kenya and Uganda released in December 2006 by NIH indicate that routine male circumcision could reduce a man's HIV infection risk through heterosexual sex by about 50%. According to researchers, male circumcision eliminates the cells most vulnerable to HIV. In addition, a circumcised penis develops thicker skin that is resistant to HIV infection. The results of the Uganda and Kenya studies were similar to the results of a study conducted in South Africa in 2005 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/19). To try to meet the growing demand, doctors at the government hospital in the capital, Mbabane, are being trained and are requested to assist in special "circumcision days," when men can undergo the procedure at no cost. On those days, roughly 40 men get circumcised, but up to 100 additional men regularly are turned away because of the lack of professional medical staff available to perform the procedure. According to urologist Adam Groenevald, circumcising 200,000 men will require 40,000 operations to be performed annually for the next five years. In addition, there are "deeper-rooted and more cultural barriers" to circumcision in Swaziland, as boys in the country traditionally are not circumcised, AFP/Mail and Guardian reports. Swaziland's health ministry is waiting for advice from the World Health Organization before rolling out a mass circumcision program. "We have to make the medical establishment and policymakers ready for the go ahead," Groenevald said, adding, "If we are not ready and the go ahead comes, there will be chaos. A number of unqualified people will start offering circumcisions, and we need to avoid that at all costs." According to Faith Dlamini of the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS, the government would focus initially on circumcisions among boys and men ages 15 to 30 who are most vulnerable to HIV transmission. UNICEF estimates that HIV prevalence among men ages 20 to 30 in the country is almost 50%, which is higher than the national adult prevalence (AFP/Mail and Guardian, 2/2).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

WHO Cautions Thailand Against Issuing Compulsory License For Abbott's Antiretroviral Kaletra

2007-04-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

The World Health Organization on Thursday cautioned the Thai government on its decision to allow the country to produce a lower-cost version of Abbott Laboratories' antiretroviral drug Kaletra by granting a compulsory license for the drug, the Bangkok Post reports (Treerutkuarkul, Bangkok Post, 2/2). Thailand's Ministry of Public Health last week said that it had broken a patent on Kaletra by issuing a compulsory license and Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla announced that the compulsory license was signed into law and took effect on Jan. 26. World Trade Organization regulations allow governments to declare a "national emergency" and issue compulsory licenses without consulting the foreign patent owner. Thailand, which has 580,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, has won international recognition for its quick launch of a national drug program that treats more than 82,000 HIV-positive people. However, the government's commitment to providing universal access to care is facing increasingly high drug costs. The compulsory license could save the country as much as $24 million annually (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). WHO Director-General Margaret Chan during a visit to Thailand's National Health Security Office said the country should negotiate the price of Kaletra with Abbott before issuing a compulsory license and encouraged the nation's public health ministry to improve its relationship with drug companies. "I'd like to underline that we have to find a right balance for compulsory licensing," Chan said, adding, "We can't be naive about this. There is no perfect solution for accessing drugs in both quality and quantity." Nimit Tienudom, president of Thailand's AIDS Access Foundation, said that Chan's position was "disappointing" and that WHO "should have supported drug access and promoted the study of quality and inexpensive drugs for the sake of the global population rather than supporting pharmaceutical giants." Mongkol did not comment on Chan's position, according to the Post. Approximately 108,000 of people living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand depend on GPO-VIR, a generic, first-line antiretroviral produced by the country's Government Pharmaceutical Organization. About 20,000 HIV-positive people have developed resistance to the drug and require Kaletra. The country's Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association has said that it disapproves of the license and that it could lead to Thailand's isolation from the global biotechnology community, the Post reports (Bangkok Post, 2/2).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

AIDS Memorial Quilt Should Be Displayed In Entirety To Raise Profile, Understanding Of HIV/AIDS, Letter To Editor Says

2007-04-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

The Atlanta-based Names Project Foundation -- which is involved in a lawsuit over the AIDS Memorial Quilt with Cleve Jones, who started the quilt in 1987 and served as its spokesperson for 15 years -- should "let go" of the quilt and "assist in displaying it in its entirety" to raise the profile and understanding of HIV/AIDS in the U.S., Jerry Clark, founder and CEO of the not-for-profit We Care Minnesota, writes in a New York Times letter to the editor in response to a Jan. 31 Times article (Clark, New York Times, 2/4). Jones and NPF in December 2005 reached an agreement on the issue of returning a portion of the quilt to San Francisco. Under the agreement, Jones will receive 35 blocks of the quilt after he creates a San Francisco-based organization to oversee them. According to the agreement, Jones was required to establish a "501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that will have the name of San Francisco Bay Area Friends of the AIDS Memorial Quilt" by Dec. 31, 2006. The settlement stipulated that if the deadline was not met, the foundation would be "relieved of any obligation to supply blocks of the quilt to the nonprofit." Jones said that he established a not-for-profit by the deadline through the San Francisco-based Tides Center, which oversees more than 200 projects. The dispute arises from the Tide Center's Web site, which states that it is "legally and financially responsible for all Tides Center projects and activities" and that "[p]rojects are not separate entities or affiliated organizations -- projects are Tides Center." An attorney for NPF in January said Jones has not met the requirement (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/31). "If the quilt were displayed in its entirety, the country might just wake up" to the impact of HIV/AIDS, Clark writes, adding that increased funding for research and prevention efforts "would be a natural result of raising the profile and understanding of this terrible disease" (New York Times, 2/4).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

New Washington, D.C., HIV/AIDS Administration Director Pane Announces Initiatives To Fight City's Epidemic

2007-04-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

The director of Washington, D.C.'s Administration for HIV Policy and Programs, Gregg Pane, who replaced Marsha Martin in January, has announced plans to launch a series of "critical tasks" within the next 90 days aimed at addressing the district's HIV/AIDS epidemic, the AP/Washington Examiner reports (AP/Washington Examiner, 2/4). District Mayor Adrian Fenty in January confirmed that he would not reappoint Martin as director of the city's HIV/AIDS administration. Martin's 16-month tenure as director of the HIV administration earned mixed reviews. Although she was lauded for increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS in the district, she was criticized for her method of collaborating and coordinating with the HIV/AIDS community (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/4). Pane's HIV/AIDS initiatives include developing response and prevention plans, increasing condom distribution and enhancing HIV/AIDS case tracking, according to the AP/Examiner. Under the campaign, the administration by mid-February will distribute 250,000 condoms to 60 not-for-profits, and HIV rapid test kits will be distributed to physicians. The administration also is developing a comprehensive HIV prevention plan that will target young people, assess grant management and conduct oversight visits of the government's service providers. In addition, Pane said that the administration plans to enter 1,200 backlogged HIV surveillance cases into city databases, which are needed to accurately record the extent of the epidemic and apply for federal grant money, the AP/Examiner reports. "I felt action was needed," Pane said last week, adding, "We're all saying it's a crisis. Let's do something. Shake it up and set some goals." The DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice contributed to planning the initiatives, Pane said. Appleseed Center Executive Director Walter Smith said, "My reaction is it's a very good thing that Dr. Pane this quickly is trying to get organized and give this thing high priority, high visibility" (AP/Washington Examiner, 2/4).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Texas AG Abbott Rules That State Law Permits Prison Officials To Mandate HIV Testing Among State Prisoners

2007-04-15T08:39:00.001-07:00

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) on Thursday ruled that state law permits the Texas Board of Criminal Justice to mandate HIV testing among inmates upon entry to state prisons, the Houston Chronicle reports (Babineck, Houston Chronicle, 2/2). The state prison system in August 2006 had proposed a change to its HIV testing policy from saying new inmates "should be tested" upon entering prison to saying they "shall be tested" unless they opt out of testing. State Sen. Rodney Ellis (D) in August 2006 asked Abbott to rule whether current state law allows mandatory HIV testing for prisoners upon entry. Ellis -- who with state Rep. Yvonne Davis (D) sponsored legislation approved last year that requires inmates to be tested for HIV before departing prison -- said if Abbott ruled that current law does not allow mandated entry tests, he would sponsor a bill that would include such a requirement. About 80% of inmates have agreed to take an HIV test upon entering prison since the state began its testing program, and prison system statistics show more than 38,700 inmates received HIV tests in 2005. Of those, 372 tested HIV-positive. Texas law mandates that HIV test results are confidential and that HIV-positive inmates are not separated from HIV-negative inmates. Advocates for mandatory HIV testing upon entry into the prison system say it would help prison officials properly treat HIV-positive people, would provide more accurate data on the spread of the disease and could help officials estimate how many people are becoming HIV-positive in prison. July 2006 statistics show that of 154,000 prisoners in Texas, 2,627 are HIV-positive (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/24/06). Abbott's opinion, which leaves the decision regarding mandatory testing up to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, says that TBCJ is "authorized to adopt a rule or policy requiring mandatory" HIV testing among "incoming offenders in both the institutional division and the state jail division." According to TDCJ spokesperson Jason Clark, there is no indication that the department is planning to make HIV testing among incoming prisoners mandatory anytime soon. Ellis did not comment on Abbott's ruling, the Chronicle reports (Houston Chronicle, 2/2).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

26 Years And HIV/AIDS Continues Unchecked

2007-04-15T08:36:00.001-07:00

February marks the seventh annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). This national mobilization effort is designed to encourage African Americans nationwide to become more knowledgeable about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) disease, to get tested to know one's HIV status, and to seek treatment for HIV/AIDS. African Americans represent an estimated 13 percent of the U.S. population, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 49 percent of those currently living with AIDS in this country are African American.

"Special events such as free HIV/AIDS testing, town hall meetings, candlelight vigils and faith-based programs are being held throughout the country. However, we must do more to stop the spread of this disease," said Albert W. Morris, M.D., president of the National Medical Association (NMA).

Despite 26 years of dealing with the disease, HIV/AIDS continues to be a critical health crisis for African Americans. The NMA strongly recommends that everyone be tested for HIV because there are a significant number of individuals who are unaware that they are infected and have never been diagnosed. "What is most disturbing regarding this epidemic is that we continue to diagnose African Americans at an advanced stage at their initial diagnosis. These individuals do not receive the benefits from early treatment which can prolong their lives," said, Dr. Virginia Caine, director, Marion County Health Department (Indiana) and NMA member.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2006 Report, HIV/AIDS is one of the top ten leading causes of death for African Americans. In the same year, African Americans accounted for more than half (54 percent) of the estimated new HIV infections in the United States. "It is clear that African Americans have been ravaged by this disease," says Los Angeles physician and director of the OASIS Clinic, Dr. Wilbert Jordan.

"The NMA supports the CDC recommendations and strongly recommends that physicians and other healthcare professionals offer routine HIV testing to their patients," concluded Dr. Morris. To support the NMA's call-to-action, Dr. Bennett Desdaier, president of the NMA affiliate, Aesculapian Medical Society in Indianapolis, Indiana; Dr. Wilbert Jordan, Los Angles; Dr. Robert Cater, Indianapolis; Dr. Mercy Obeime, Indianapolis; and Dr. Rodney Hood, San Diego are but a few of NMA physicians offering HIV testing from their offices to patients.

While NBHAAD is a nationwide effort, organizers have issued a Call to Action to cities, (e.g., Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Newark, NJ; Gary, IN; East St. Louis, IL; Baltimore, MD and others with high incidences of HIV and AIDS for African Americans) to host a "RE-Sound the Alarm" to ensure that Black communities realize that the epidemic continues to spread.

For additional information on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2007, see http://www.blackaidsday.org. For additional information on HIV/AIDS see http://www.cdc.gov. The NMA is oldest and largest organization which represents the interests of over 30,000 Black physicians and their patients. For additional information, visit http://www.NMAnet.org.

National Medical Association
http://www.NMAnet.org

UNAIDS To Introduce HIV Testing Guidelines In India That Recommend Provider-Initiated Testing, Counseling

2007-04-15T07:36:00.001-07:00

UNAIDS in March plans to introduce new HIV testing guidelines in India that recommend health care providers initiate testing and counseling, the Hindustan Times reports. Under the country's current HIV testing policy, tests are provided only when people request them. Requests for HIV tests in general are low, and about one in 10 HIV-positive people in India are aware of their status, the Times reports. The new guidelines emphasize informed consent and counseling before an HIV test can be administered, according to the Times. Denis Broun, UNAIDS India coordinator, said the group does not "support mandatory testing. Testing must be confidential, include counseling and occur only with informed consent." He added that no one will be "forced into testing, as the rules of opting out are very clear." In addition, the new testing guidelines will "phenomenally" increase the number of people receiving HIV tests in the country, Broun said, adding that the guidelines "aim to reach the nine in 10 undiagnosed [HIV-positive] people who miss out on treatment." However, some human rights advocates have said that India does not have the health infrastructure to provide treatment and care for the thousands of people who will test positive for HIV, the Times reports. "The government cannot test people and send them away," Anjali Gopalan, executive director of Naz Foundation India Trust, said, adding, "India first needs to ensure proper counseling, upgrade voluntary testing and counseling centers, and set up the required facilities in states that have no health infrastructure or social security for people to fall back on." Loon Gangte, president of the Delhi Network of Positive People, said, "Before scaling up HIV testing, the government must ensure there is no stigma and discrimination" against HIV-positive people. He added that the government "must also provide assured access to treatment and care services." According to Broun, provider-initiated testing has increased the number of people receiving HIV tests in several East African countries, including Botswana, Malawi and Uganda (Sharma, Hindustan Times, 2/1).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Boston Globe Reports On Internal Investigation Of Global Fund Practices

2007-04-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

The Boston Globe on Monday reported on an internal inspector general investigation into the business expense practices of the executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. According to the Globe's description of the investigation, which was completed in August 2006, Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem has "made extensive use of a little-known private bank account, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on limousines, expensive meals, boat cruises and other expenses." According to the Globe, a separate investigation by the World Health Organization also "raised concerns" over use of the account. Global Fund spokesperson Jon Liden said, "These expenses are reasonable and necessary for carrying out the business of the Global Fund," adding that the report is of "extraordinarily poor quality in terms of accuracy, context and fairness. We have nothing to hide." (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 2/5) The Global Fund in a release on Monday provided comments and clarifications on a "number of untrue or misleading statements" made in the Globe article (Global Fund release, 2/5).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Few HIV-Positive Parents Make Formal Guardianship Arrangements For Their Children

2007-04-15T06:37:00.001-07:00

Few unmarried parents who are HIV-positive have made legally documented arrangements for who would care for their children if the parents die, according to a survey by the RAND Corporation.

RAND, a non-profit research organization, analyzed interviews with 222 unmarried parents with a total of 391 children from a nationally representative sample of HIV-infected adults. Of those parents:

* 12 percent had not identified a guardian for their children.

* 6 percent had identified a guardian but hadn't discussed their preference with the guardian.

* 53 percent said the guardian had agreed to be the guardian. * Only 28 percent had prepared legal documentation of their guardianship choice.

Studies have found that children who lose a parent to HIV/AIDS have higher rates of depression, risky sexual behaviors and other emotional and behavioral problems, making them vulnerable.

If parents have guardianship arrangements solidly in place - through a will or standby guardianship - they could help ease the trauma their children would suffer when losing a parent, because a guardianship plan can reduce the chances that children would be separated from their siblings or spend long periods of time in foster care.

"Ideally, we hope our findings will make physicians, especially pediatricians treating children who have HIV-positive parents, more aware of the guardianship issue, and more likely to talk to parents about the importance of making formal arrangements," said lead author Burton O. Cowgill. Cowgill is a researcher at the UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Health Services in the School of Public Health at UCLA.

"All parents - not just parents with HIV or other, chronic illnesses - should consider a guardianship plan," Cowgill said. "By identifying who you want to be the guardian, you reduce the possibility of your children ending up with someone you don't want them to be with."

The RAND Health study, "Guardianship Planning Among HIV-Infected Parents in the United States," appears in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics. It was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I think parents often assume that if anything happens to them, then grandma, an uncle, or a close friend who spends a lot of time with their children will become the guardian, but the legal system doesn't always function the way parents assume it will," said Dr. Mark A. Schuster, senior author of the study and director of health promotion and disease prevention at RAND.

"Parents in two-parent families don't always consider that something could happen to both parents, and then the child can get caught in a tug-of-war among surviving family members," said Schuster, who is also professor of pediatrics and public health at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital.

One study of cancer patients who were single parents found that the children of 40 percent of them eventually became wards of people who the deceased parents would have opposed.

HIV-infected parents were most likely to have formalized guardianship arrangements if they were in poor health or were living with no other adults. The study also found that the age of the child had no impact on whether guardianship plans were more fully developed.

Among parents who identified a guardian, 36 percent listed a grandparent, followed by another relative (34 percent), the other biological parent (17 percent), a friend (7 percent), a spouse/partner who was not the biological parent (2 percent), an unrelated adoptive or foster parent (1 percent), and "other" (3 percent). Fathers were less likely than mothers to choose non-relatives.

The study used two waves of data from January 1996 to April 1997 and follow-up interviews from December 1996 through June 1997. The study drew on data collected for the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study, a landmark study conducted by RAND.

Although the data are a decade old, Cowgill said the study is still relevant for several reasons, including the fact that it was drawn from a national probability sample of mothers and fathers, giving a more comprehensive picture. Past studies have been based on regional data, or were race- or gender-specific.

Also, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy - which allows HIV-positive people to live longer with HIV - has become more common in the years since the data were collected. Since the study found that healthier parents were more likely to have no formal guardianship arrangements, it is likely that even fewer HIV-positive parents are making formal arrangements today.

Schuster said there were several reasons why HIV-positive parents might fail to make sure a legal guardianship was in place. Parents may have assumed that relatives or friends would step in and no one else would challenge the arrangements.

Parents also may fail to make formal guardianship arrangements because of distrust of the legal system, depression, fear that they can't afford a lawyer and not being aware of free or reduced fee legal services, or fear of being judged negatively due to their HIV-positive status. There's also the very human tendency to procrastinate and reluctance to face one's own mortality, Schuster said.

Other authors of the study are Marc N. Elliott, Megan K. Beckett, and Annie J. Zhou, all of RAND; Rosalie Corona, of Virginia Commonwealth University; and Michelle T. Parra, of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services.

RAND Health, a division of the RAND Corporation, is the nation's largest independent health policy research program, with a broad research portfolio that focuses on quality, costs and delivery, among other topics.

About the RAND Corporation

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world.

Contact: RAND Office of Media Relations
RAND Corporation

Washington County Records Four Cases Of Drug-Resistant HIV

2007-04-15T06:34:00.001-07:00

Four men in King County, Washington, have been diagnosed with a strain of HIV that is resistant to at least two types of antiretroviral drugs, and health officials on Thursday said they are concerned the strain could spread, the Seattle Times reports. According to the Times, a third antiretroviral has limited effectiveness against the strain (King, Seattle Times, 2/2). Officials said that the same genetic strain of HIV was recorded within 15 months among the men, who were diagnosed with the drug-resistant strain as soon as they tested HIV positive. The men used methamphetamine and had multiple anonymous sexual partners, including men. None of the men was known to have had sex with any of the other three, according to officials (AP/Houston Chronicle, 2/2). Some of the men's partners have been identified, none of whom has tested positive for the resistant strain, Bob Wood, HIV/AIDS program director for the Seattle-King County Public Health Department, said. There is no information about how easily this strain might be transmitted or whether it was spread to Seattle from another city. The agency plans to distribute fliers in gay bars and bathhouses about the HIV strain, and physicians are being asked to test all newly diagnosed HIV cases for drug resistance and report them to the health department, Wood said. According to physicians, it is unlikely the drug-resistant HIV strain will cause the men to progress more rapidly to AIDS; however, once they do progress to the disease, treating them will be more difficult (Seattle Times, 2/2). Health officials as of last week had recorded 12 cases of multidrug-resistant HIV in the county, but none of the cases was as resistant to antiretrovirals as the most recent four, the AP/Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 2/2). About 350 to 400 new HIV cases are reported in King County annually, and about 8,000 county residents are living with the virus. Wood said the new cases should serve as an early warning because "they show there is some ongoing transmission" (Seattle Times, 2/2). Wood added, "This is mostly about behavior. Men who have sex with men need to know that drug-resistant strains can and are being transmitted and may be much less treatable" (Paulson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2/2).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Human Trial Results Show Excellent Safety Data, Positive Immune Responses From GeoVax's DNA/MVA AIDS Vaccines

2007-03-07T08:39:00.001-08:00

Reports, Programming Launched Ahead Of Annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

2007-03-07T08:35:00.001-08:00

"HIV/AIDS Diagnoses Among Blacks -- Florida, 1999-2004," MMWR: According to an analysis from the Florida Department of Health released in the Feb. 2 issue of MMWR, new HIV cases among blacks residing in Florida has decreased by an average of more than 8% annually among men and more than 10% annually among women from 1999 to 2004, the AP/Gainesville Sun reports (Royse, AP/Gainesville Sun, 2/1). HIV incidence among blacks nationwide has decreased by an average of 5% annually since 2001, declining from 88.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2001 to 76.3 cases per 100,000 in 2004. However, blacks in 2004 were 8.4 times more likely than whites to be newly diagnosed with HIV (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/7/06). In Florida, HIV incidence among blacks dropped from 224 cases per 100,000 people in 1999 to 134 cases per 100,000 in 2004, the study found. According to the AP/Sun, the study's findings indicate that the decline is not because of a reduction in HIV testing among blacks, which increased during the study period. State health researchers also found that new cases of gonorrhea declined among blacks statewide during the same period by more than 7% annually, which indicates that the drop in both might be associated with a decrease in risky sexual behavior. Some health officials and advocates said that although they welcomed the study's findings, HIV among blacks is still high and the disparity between whites and blacks still persists (AP/Gainesville Sun, 2/1). According to the study, HIV incidence among whites in Florida was recorded at 18.8 cases per 100,000 population in 1999 and 18.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2004 (MMWR, 2/1).

BET from Feb. 4 to Feb. 18 will launch three HIV/AIDS-themed programs aimed at addressing HIV/AIDS-related issues faced by black adolescents and young people -- including stigma, discrimination against men who have sex with men, HIV testing, substance abuse, and the impact of the disease on personal relationships and family. The broadcasts will begin at 12 p.m. ET/PT on Feb. 4 with "Reflections" -- the winning short film from the first Scenarios USA/Rap-It-Up National Story and Scriptwriting Contest -- with encore broadcasts on Feb. 7 at 11 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. BET also will air a 30-minute documentary on the making of the short film -- "Behind the Scenes: Reflections" -- on Feb. 4 at 12:30 p.m., as well as "Odicie" -- the winner of the third annual Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition -- on Feb. 18 at 12:30 p.m. In addition, BET News on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. will air a 30-minute show that examines common misconceptions that many young people hold about the disease. BET since 1998 has partnered with the Kaiser Family Foundation on Rap-It-Up, a public education campaign to inform young people about sexual health issues, including HIV/AIDS (BET/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 1/24).

New Compound Shows Promise In Halting HIV Spread

2007-03-07T07:40:00.001-08:00

Studies Examine HIV Dementia In Sub-Saharan Africa, CDC's HIV Prevention Budget

2007-03-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

The following highlights recently released studies on HIV/AIDS.

"Frequency of and Risk Factors for HIV Dementia in an HIV Clinic in Sub-Saharan Africa," Neurology: Ned Sacktor, a neurologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted the study among 178 people in Kampala, Uganda, from September 2003 to January 2004, Xinhuanet reports. Seventy-eight of the participants were HIV-positive and 100 were HIV-negative (Xinhuanet, 1/30). The study found that 31% of participants in the HIV-positive group, or about 25 people, had HIV dementia, while none of the HIV-negative participants had the condition (Fox, Reuters South Africa, 1/29). Researchers characterized HIV dementia as memory, learning, behavioral and motor disabilities that interfere with daily activities and could lead to incapacitation. They diagnosed the dementia by examining participants' medical histories, as well as the results of a series of comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological tests and functional assessments, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 1/30). "If the rate we saw in our study translates across sub-Saharan Africa, we're looking at more than eight million people in this region with HIV dementia," Sacktor said (Reuters South Africa, 1/29). According to researchers, HIV dementia can be treated and potentially reversed with the same antiretroviral drugs used to treat the virus, and treatment can sometimes restore normal cognitive function, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 1/30).

"HIV Incidence and CDC's HIV Prevention Budget: An Exploratory Correlational Analysis," American Journal of Preventive Medicine: David Holtgrave of Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health and Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation examined the relationship between CDC's HIV prevention budget and HIV incidence in the U.S. from 1978 to 2006. The study found that from the beginning of the epidemic to 1985, when new HIV cases peaked in the U.S., HIV incidence predicted levels of investment. During this period, increased amounts of funding were allocated to HIV prevention programs as new HIV cases increased each year. From the mid-1980s, the level of investment predicted incidence, the study found. During this period, the U.S. continued to increase funding for HIV prevention programs, and the number of new cases decreased from 160,000 annually to about 40,000 annually, according to the study. In the early 1990s, as the level of investment leveled out, so did the number of new annual HIV cases, the study found. "Our analysis helps explain why the number of new HIV infections has remained at 40,000 per year for over 15 years," Holtgrave said, adding, "Investment levels have predicted HIV incidence since the mid-1980s. If we want to lower infections further in the U.S., these analyses suggest we should consider increasing our national investment" in HIV prevention programs. Holtgrave said that because the study is based on historical data, it is subject to methodological limitations (JHSPH release, 1/31).

New York Times Examines Dynamics Between Bush Administration, Congress On Increased Funding For International HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Programs

2007-03-07T06:38:00.001-08:00

India To Establish 'Safe Zones' To Reduce HIV Transmission Among Migrant Workers

2007-03-07T06:34:00.001-08:00

Armenian AIDS Commission Approves HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Targeting Teenagers, Young People, Official Says

2007-03-07T05:38:00.001-08:00

Phase III Trials Of Cellulose Sulfate Microbicide For HIV Prevention Closed

2007-03-07T05:34:00.001-08:00

African-American Women Who Have Received HIV Treatment Are Sought To Participate In GRACE Study

2007-03-07T04:38:00.001-08:00

Preclinical Trial Results Of GeoVax's Vaccines Demonstrate Potential To Protect Against Development Of AIDS

2007-03-07T04:35:00.001-08:00

Demand For Male Circumcision As HIV Prevention Method Growing In Swaziland

2007-03-07T03:38:00.001-08:00

WHO Cautions Thailand Against Issuing Compulsory License For Abbott's Antiretroviral Kaletra

2007-03-07T03:34:00.001-08:00

AIDS Memorial Quilt Should Be Displayed In Entirety To Raise Profile, Understanding Of HIV/AIDS, Letter To Editor Says

2007-03-07T02:41:00.001-08:00