Articles tagged with: Awareness
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Gilead Applies For Approval For Truvada As An HIV-Prevention Drug – Gilead Sciences has applied for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) for the prevention of HIV infection. The application is based on studies showing that taking Truvada once a day helped reduce the rate of new HIV infections in high-risk populations, such as men who have sex with men, by about 70 to 90 percent when taken regularly (see related AIDS Beacon news). If approved, Gilead stated that Truvada would be the first drug approved for the prevention of HIV infection via sexual transmission in uninfected adults. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.
People With HIV May Be At Higher Risk Of Migraines – Results from a recent study indicate that people with HIV may be at a higher risk of headaches, particularly migraines, than people without HIV. The researchers found that more than half of study participants reported headaches; more than 85 percent of these patients met the criteria for migraine headaches. According to the scientists, this represents a 13-fold higher risk of chronic migraines in people with HIV compared to the general population. The researchers also found that more advanced HIV infection was associated with more severe headaches. For more information, please see the press release from the University of Mississippi or the study in the journal Headache (abstract).
2012 Federal Spending Bill Bans Needle Exchange Programs For HIV Prevention – The 2012 federal spending bill, approved by Congress last week, contains a provision that prohibits federal money from being used for needle exchange programs for illegal drug users. The programs are meant to help prevent transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases by ensuring that users do not share needles. The AIDS Institute, a non-profit AIDS advocacy organization, expressed disappointment with the bill and also noted that funds remained flat for programs such as the Ryan White Program, which provides money to care for low-income people with HIV. For more information, please see the article in the Washington Post or the press release from The AIDS Institute.
Florida “Faces Of HIV” Project To Launch In Tallahassee, FL – Florida state will launch its traveling “Faces of HIV” exhibit January 13 at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. The project showcases the faces, experiences, and daily lives of people with HIV. The aim of the exhibit is to reduce stigma against people with HIV and to demonstrate that HIV infection strikes all sexes, ages, and races and cannot be deduced from a person’s appearance. The project will also stop in Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville, FL. For more information, please see the Faces of HIV website at the Florida Department of Health.
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Merck To Collaborate With The Vaccine And Gene Therapy Institute On HIV Latency Research – U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck has entered into a three-year agreement with the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida to collaborate on research into HIV latency. Latent HIV is a dormant form of HIV that is not actively replicating and therefore is not eliminated by antiretroviral drugs. The research is part of an effort toward finding a cure for HIV and will focus on methods to target latent HIV and test latency drug candidates. Many scientists believe HIV could be cured by combining antiretrovirals with drugs to activate and target latent HIV (see related AIDS Beacon news). For more information, please see the press release from the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida.
Secretary Of State Clinton Calls For AIDS-Free Generation – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the world to work toward an AIDS-free generation in a speech at the National Institutes of Health last week. Secretary Clinton advocated the use of antiretroviral drugs in combination with prevention measures such as male circumcision and promotion of condom use to cut the number of HIV infections. Secretary Clinton stated that the U.S. would grant $60 million toward these efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinton also appointed talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as an international envoy for AIDS awareness. For more information, please see the article in the Washington Post.
Magic Johnson Marks 20 Years Of Living With HIV – Last week marked the 20th anniversary of basketball player ‘Magic’ Earvin Johnson’s announcement that he would retire from the Los Angeles Lakers due to HIV infection. At the time, in 1991, people with HIV were not expected to live very long. Last week, Johnson said that if he had known how well he would live with HIV he would not have retired. Since going public with his HIV infection, Johnson has been an active member of the HIV/AIDS community, including starting the Magic Johnson Foundation to help fight HIV and serving as a United Nations Ambassador of Peace. For more information, please see the Associated Press article.
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Results of a recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicate that many Americans continue to be misinformed about HIV and AIDS, with 25 percent of respondents saying HIV can be transmitted by sharing a drinking glass and 16 percent by sharing a toilet seat.
The report also revealed widespread stigma and discomfort around people with HIV. However, about 40 to 50 percent of young adult respondents said they would like to have more information on topics such as HIV prevention and testing, and more than half of the…
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Gilead Sciences Receives Subpoena On Manufacturing, Quality, And Distribution Of HIV Drugs – Gilead Sciences has received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice requesting information on its manufacturing, quality, and distribution practices for several drugs, including Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir), Emtriva (emtricitabine), Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir), Viread (tenofovir), and the proposed combination pill of Truvada plus Edurant (rilpivirine). Gilead has not disclosed the reason for the subpoena but says it will cooperate in the related civil and criminal investigations. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.
Spring Issue Of ‘Mental Health AIDS’ Is Now Available – The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the spring issue of its quarterly newsletter ‘Mental Health AIDS.’ The newsletter covers psychological and mental-health related issues in people with HIV. This issue focuses primarily on prevention, but also discusses topics such as the approval of Egrifta (tesamorelin), factors affecting medication adherence, and stress management. For more information, please see the Mental Health AIDS Newsletter Spring 2011 (pdf).
AIDS Play ‘The Normal Heart’ Wins Three Tony Awards – Larry Kramer’s play ‘The Normal Heart,’ about HIV/AIDS activists in New York City in the early 1980s, has won the Tony award for Best Revival of a Play. Additionally, cast members John Benjamin Hickey and Ellen Barkin won Tony awards for Best Featured Actor and Best Featured Actress, respectively, in a Play. The play opened on Broadway in April and will continue through July 10. For more information, please see the Tony Awards website or The Normal Heart website.
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June 8 Marks National Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – This Wednesday is the sixth annual National Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean-American community and encourage HIV testing, education about the virus, and treatment for those who are HIV positive. Events will be held in Chicago, New York City, and other major cities with large Caribbean-American populations. For more information, please see the National Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day website.
Smithsonian Opens Exhibit On History Of HIV And AIDS – The National Museum of American History, one of the Smithsonian museums, has opened a special exhibit on HIV and AIDS to mark the 30th anniversary of HIV in the U.S. Entitled “HIV and AIDS Thirty Years Ago,” the exhibit discusses the history of the epidemic in the nation and worldwide and its effects on individuals and society. The exhibit also includes a website on the history of HIV and AIDS. For more information, please see the National Museum of American History press release or the exhibit website.
Emory University Creates Online Map Of HIV/AIDS In The U.S. – The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University has created an interactive, online map of HIV and AIDS in the U.S. The map, called AIDSVu, includes information on HIV rates by zip code for most of the country and highlights the areas of greatest prevalence – primarily the Northeast, South, and Southwest. Viewers can also see HIV rates by gender, race/ethnicity, and age group. For more information, please see the Emory University press release or the AIDSVu website.
Theratechnologies Applies For Marketing Approval Of Egrifta In Europe – Theratechnologies, via its partner Ferrer Internacional S.A., has applied for marketing approval of Egrifta (tesamorelin) from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). If approved, Egrifta will be the first drug in Europe to treat lipodystrophy, a condition of abnormal fat distribution that is a side effect of certain anti-HIV medications. Based on average approval times for the EMA, a decision would be expected mid to late next year. Egrifta was approved in the U.S. in November of last year. Ferrer has licensed the right to market Egrifta in Europe and is responsible for all required regulatory activity associated with the approval. For more information, please see the Theratechnologies press release.