New Specially Padded Shorts Provide Support For Cancer And HIV Patients – Lipowear LLC has introduced a new type of shorts, called SitRelief Shorts, that are specially padded to help provide support for cancer and HIV patients who experience lipoatrophy, a condition in which the body fat and muscle wears away. Designed by Terry Delonas, a long time HIV/AIDS survivor, these shorts are padded to provide extra support in the sitting area. This allows the wearer to sit comfortably for longer periods of time. The current product is designed for men; however, a similar female product is under development. For more information, please see the article in The Orange County Register or the Lipowear Web site.

Study Finds An Increased Risk Of Genital Ulcer Disease In Women During The First Month Of Antiretroviral Therapy – A recent study in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) finds that women have an increased risk of Genital Ulcer Disease (GUD) in the first month after beginning antiretroviral therapy (ART), especially if they have low CD4 counts or a history of GUD. To determine the risk, the study monitored 134 women at the beginning of ART and one month after. For more information, please see the study in JAIDS (abstract).

Doctors Without Borders Produces New Documentary, “The Positive Ladies Soccer Club” – Doctors Without Borders is screening a new documentary, “The Positive Ladies Soccer Club,” which follows a group of HIV-positive women from Zimbabwe who formed a soccer team and competed for a tournament trophy. Although ridiculed for being women and for having HIV, the women persevered, helping to fight the stigma of HIV in their community. The movie was recently screened at the Bath Film Festival on November 15 and was directed by Joanna Stavropoulou, a Field Communications Officer for Doctors Without Borders. For more information, please see “The Positive Ladies Soccer Club” Web site.

Indian Drug Company, Ranbaxy, Receives WHO Pre-Qualification For Crixivan – Earlier this month, an Indian drug company, Ranbaxy, received pre-qualification from the World Health Organization (WHO) to produce a generic version of Crixivan (indinavir). Pre-qualification serves as a guide to United Nations affiliated agencies and countries looking for drug suppliers. For more information, please see the Ranbaxy Web site.

Facing AIDS Campaign On World AIDS Day – The Federal government is running a ‘Facing AIDS’ campaign this World AIDS Day on December 1, requesting the public to take a photo with their personalized ‘Facing AIDS’ sign and uploading it to their Facebook or Flickr page. A suggested example is: “I’m Facing AIDS – someone I love needs care.” Other steps include blogging, linking people to testing locations, sponsoring a World AIDS Day event, or sharing information on HIV/AIDS. For more ideas, please visit the AIDS.gov Web site.

Washington, D.C.’s AIDS Program Threatened Due To Corruption – After a series of Washington Post articles detailing inappropriate spending and mismanagement by the District of Columbia Health Department’s HIV/AIDS Administration, the federal government and other organizations are stepping in. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development threatened to cut off $12.2 million in federal funding to Washington, D.C.’s AIDS program. On November 2, AIDS Healthcare Foundation called for a Congressional investigation into the ongoing scandal. For more information, please read the article on the Washington Post Web site and the news release by AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Financial Times To Launch Report On “Combating AIDS” – The Financial Times has plans to release a new report called “Combating AIDS.” The report will be distributed in all global editions of the paper on World AIDS Day on December 1. The report will cover causes, transmission pathways, clinical trials, research, and education and awareness programs. For more information, please see the press release at Reuters Web site.

Number Of HIV/AIDS Cases Drop In India, The Caribbean, And Ghana – Several recent reports indicate that the number of cases of HIV/AIDS has declined in India, the Caribbean, and Ghana. Officials attribute the drops to increased education and condom use; however, they also emphasize continuing need for awareness and education programs. For more information, please see the news articles from Agence France-Presse, the Times of India, and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

This conference is sponsored by the New York Department of Health, AIDS Institute. CLEAR is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) Project, which targets men and women 16 and older living with HIV/AIDS or those who engage in high-risk behaviors. This four day program will train individuals how to administer the CLEAR intervention program in their community.

Dr. Helene Gayle To Lead Presidential Advisory Council On AIDS – President Obama recently announced that Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of the humanitarian organization CARE, will chair the Presidential Advisory Council on AIDS. Her prior experiences include 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control, a position as AIDS Coordinator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and a position directing the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, please see the press release at the ABC Chicago Web site.

Congress Extends Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Congress recently approved a four-year extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which will help nearly half a million uninsured and low-income HIV patients receive treatment. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 proposes a five percent annual funding increase for the next four years. For more information, please see the United Press International Web site.

Michigan Legislation Seeks To Remove Informed Consent HIV Testing Clause – A recent bill proposed in the Michigan House of Representatives seeks to eradicate a clause requiring that patients give informed consent prior to HIV testing. The bill would allow health care providers to administer the test without informing the patient. According to supporters of the bill, the removal of this mandate would allow health care providers to better treat patients by allowing them to detect HIV earlier. However, some believe that this violates privacy rights, and that it will also prompt insurance companies to deny coverage to their patients. A hearing on the bill could be held as soon as May. For more information, please see the Michigan Messenger Web site.

An Opportunity For Americans To Speak About HIV And AIDS – President Obama is developing a National HIV/AIDS strategy (NHAS) in the United States and is enlisting the help of communities and individuals across the country to share their opinions. The Office of National AIDS Policy is announcing an online ‘Call to Action: Americans Speak About HIV/AIDS’ to encourage all kinds of organizations, such as schools and businesses, to conduct discussions about steps that can be taken as a country in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For more information, please see The Office of National AIDS Policy press release.

Pope Canonizes Patron Saint Of HIV/AIDS – On October 11, 2009, Pope Benedict canonized Father Damien de Veuster, known for his missionary work with leprosy patients beginning in 1873. President Obama gave his support to this choice, stating that during the current pandemic of HIV and AIDS it is important to follow Father Damien’s example. For more information, please see the Religion Dispatches news article and the Associate Press news article.

Hemophiliac Patients In Taiwan Battle To Sue Drug Company That Sold Tainted Blood - Hemophiliac patients in Taiwan are appealing a decision by the U.S. court that says patients cannot sue a drug company in the U.S. over allegations that they contracted HIV from contaminated blood products. The allegations are against the company, Cutter, which is now owned by Bayer. According to particular documents, Cutter marketed to countries in Asia blood products that had not been heat-treated, thus making them potentially dangerous. For more information, please see the Guardian news article.

The theme of the conference is “Embracing Challenges, Embracing Change.” The first day of the conference is designed for clinical providers, however others are welcome to attend. The second day will be designed for other occupations and consumers. Topics will include health education, risk reduction, social work, STD prevention, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Korean Company To Purchase Trimeris, Developer Of Fuzeon – Arigene, a Korean company, is set to acquire Trimeris, the biopharmaceutical company that developed Fuzeon (enfuvirtide). Although Trimeris reported an income of $1.3 million in August, a sum that was double their previous year’s income, the company stated that revenues were still declining and cost cuts were necessary to increase profits. Currently, Arigene is a manufacturer of medical devices; however, this new acquisition will help the company to expand into the field of biotechnology. For more information, please see the Trimeris press release.

President Appoints New U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator - On October 2, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Eric Goosby as the new Ambassador-at-Large and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Dr. Goosby has been working to fight AIDS since the disease first began spreading in the 1980s. Since then, he has held positions in several government and non-government related organizations. Most recently, he was CEO of the Pangea Global AIDS Foundation. Dr. Goosby stressed that although great strides have been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS, much more needs to be done in terms of prevention, care, and treatment. For more information, please see the VOA News Web site.

Two Clinic Operators In Miami Convicted Of Fraud – Two clinic operators from Miami were recently convicted of committing fraud in a $51 million HIV infusion case. Scarlet Duarte and Rechart Garcia allegedly paid HIV-positive Medicare beneficiaries to feign receiving HIV treatment and subsequently bill Medicare for the supposed expenses. The fake treatments were administered at six different clinics. In total, the clinics claimed $51.8 million for the treatments, of which Medicare paid $21.1 million. Duarte and Garcia are scheduled for sentencing on December 14. For more information please see the South Florida Business Journal Web site.

AIDS Charity Questioned For Dubious Spending – The Let’s Talk, Let’s Test Foundation of Chicago, Illinois is being investigated for $523,545 in questionable spending. The foundation had previously asked for $3 million per year to help stop the spread of AIDS in African-American communities, of which it received $1.2 million. The investigation includes the purchase of a skybox at a college football game, along with five-figure bonuses for two staff members. State department health officials and federal authorities are examining the situation. For more information, please see the article in the Chicago Sun-Times.

U.S. Federal Court Favors Roche In HIV Test Kit Dispute With Stanford University – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled in favor of Roche Pharmaceutical Company in a patent infringement suit filed by Stanford University in 2005. At that time, the University had filed the suit claiming that the Roche HIV test kits violated its patents for assessing the amount of HIV in blood samples and for evaluating the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs. Representatives for Roche had alleged that the pharmaceutical company had ownership of the patents when it bought a company that worked with Stanford researchers. When Stanford appealed, the Federal Circuit ruled that Stanford never had standing to file suit because it could not establish ownership of the patents. For more information, please see the full decision made by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.