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Government Pushes States To Reconsider HIV Criminal Laws – The federal government has begun implementing measures to push states to reevaluate and repeal HIV-specific criminal laws, many of which were passed before researchers knew how HIV was transmitted. The President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) agreed unanimously last week to address such laws in its implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. In addition, Congresswoman Barbara Lee has drafted legislation that states that laws criminalizing HIV exposure or transmission are a violation of HIV-positive individuals’ human rights. Lee also calls for a review of current state and federal criminal laws on HIV. Activists praised the measures, stating that HIV-specific laws are discriminatory and promote stigma against people with HIV. For more information, please see the article in The Washington Independent.

ViiV Healthcare Sues Teva Pharmaceuticals Over Generic Epzicom – ViiV Healthcare is suing generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals for infringing on a patent for Epzicom (abacavir/lamivudine). Teva has applied for permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to produce generic Epzicom tablets; however, ViiV Healthcare states that this violates a 2002 patent on Epzicom that does not expire until 2016. ViiV Healthcare is seeking to block Teva from producing generic Epzicom and has also requested damages if the company sells a generic version of the drug. ViiV Healthcare is a joint venture by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. For more information, please see the article in Bloomberg.

AmfAR Launches “Making AIDS History” Campaign – The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) has launched a new campaign called “Making AIDS History” to document the progress that has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the past 30 years. The campaign’s website features short video profiles of men, women, and children who have been affected by HIV, as well as longer interviews with some of the individuals in the video profiles. The campaign is part of a fundraising effort to raise money for amfAR, which focuses on research to help cure HIV. For more information, please see the Making AIDS History website.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Winners Of “Fight HIV Your Way” Contest – Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced the winners of the 2011 “Fight HIV Your Way” contest, in which people who have HIV or have been affected by HIV submitted photos and essays to show how they are fighting the virus. The ten winners will have their works incorporated into an American Dance Theatre work by Alvin Ailey, which will debut on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2011. For more information or to see the winning entries, please see the Fight HIV Your Way website or the Bristol-Myers Squibb press release.

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Rate Of New HIV Infections In The U.S. Is Stable – A report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week indicates that the annual rate of new HIV infections has stabilized at about 50,000 new infections per year in the U.S. However, the CDC also found that the rate of new infections rose 48 percent between 2006 and 2009 in young African-American men who have sex with men. Rates for all other race and risk groups remained stable. The CDC noted that most new infections (61 percent) are still among men who have sex with men, although 11 percent of new infections in 2009 were in African-American women, who are now 15 times more likely to contract HIV than Caucasian women. For more information, please see the CDC press release or the report in PLoS One.

Federal Government Reverses Limits On Emergency Funding To State ADAPs – The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has reversed a previous decision to limit emergency funding to AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) to $3 million per state. Instead, states will be allowed to receive at least as much emergency assistance as they received last year. In July, Congress authorized $50 million in emergency funding for ADAPs, which provide free antiretrovirals to low-income people with HIV. Several state ADAPs have faced budget crises, and 13 states currently have waiting lists. Activists protested HRSA’s initial decision to limit the emergency funds to a maximum of $3 million per state, which is less than some states, such as Florida, received last year in emergency funds. For more information, please see the article in The Florida Independent.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Recruits Participants For Phase 2 Clinical Trial Of New Antiretroviral – Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) is currently recruiting participants for a Phase 2 clinical trial of its investigational antiretroviral BMS-663068. BMS-663068 is a new type of antiretroviral that prevents HIV from entering and infecting cells. The trial will test the new drug at four different dosages, including both once-daily and twice-daily dosages, in combination with Isentress (raltegravir) and Viread (tenofovir). Eligible participants must have been treated for HIV previously but cannot have taken Isentress. Participants must also have viral loads (amount of HIV in the blood) of 1,000 copies per milliliter or higher. BMS expects to recruit approximately 250 participants. For more information, please see the U.S. Clinical Trials Registry.

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2011 National HIV Prevention Conference Starts August 14 – The 2011 National HIV Prevention Conference will be held this year August 14 to 17 in Atlanta. The theme of the conference is “The Urgency of Now: Reduce incidence. Improve access. Promote equity.” Topics will include HIV prevention efforts, strategies for improving access to health care for people with HIV, and reducing health disparities related to HIV and AIDS. Conference organizers expect around 3,000 people to attend. Interested individuals can follow the conference’s Twitter feed or Facebook page to see the latest news and findings. For more information, please see the 2011 National HIV Prevention Conference website.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation Targets Merck, Johnson & Johnson In Drug Price Campaign – Activists at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a California-based treatment and advocacy group, conducted protests last week against U.S. pharmaceutical companies Merck and Johnson & Johnson over the companies’ HIV drug prices. AHF is pressuring both companies to cut the prices they charge state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, which provide antiretrovirals free to low-income people with HIV. AHF’s protests focused on Isentress (raltegravir), marketed by Merck, and Prezista (darunavir), marketed by Johnson & Johnson. For more information, please see the AHF press releases for the Merck and Johnson & Johnson protests.

Johns Hopkins Recruits Participants For Phase 1/2 Trial To Treat HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders – Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are currently recruiting approximately 60 HIV-positive adults for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. The researchers will test the safety and efficacy of two approved drugs, the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil) and the anti-fungal medication fluconazole (Diflucan), in treating problems related to memory, concentration, thinking, and judgment. The drugs will be tested both separately and in combination. Participants must be 18 to 65 years old and on antiretroviral therapy. The trial is expected to last 24 weeks. For more information, please see the U.S. Clinical Trials Registry.

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Three-Year Study Shows Anti-HIV Drug Reyataz Is As Effective In Women As In Men (IAS 2011) – Results of a study presented last week at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention (IAS 2011) indicate that Reyataz (atazanavir) is as effective in women as in men. The researchers examined the medical records of treatment-experienced HIV-positive adults (336 women, 958 men) who took Reyataz over a three-year period. Results showed that women were more likely to discontinue the drug than men but were not more likely to experience treatment failure. Side effects were similar between the two groups. For more information, please see the study abstract at the IAS 2011 conference website or the Bristol-Myers Squibb press release.

Kaletra Can Be Taken With Cholesterol Drug Livalo (IAS 2011) – Results from another study presented last week at IAS 2011 indicate that it is safe for people with HIV/AIDS to take Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) in combination with the cholesterol drug Livalo (pitavastatin). Based on the results of the trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated Livalo’s prescribing information last month to remove a warning about taking Livalo with Kaletra. The trial included 24 HIV-negative adults who took Kaletra plus Livalo for 24 days. Results showed that Kaletra and Livalo did not significantly affect one another’s levels in the blood. Changes of a drug’s levels in the blood can compromise its efficacy and safety. There were no additional side effects from taking the two drugs together. Kaletra still should not be taken with the cholesterol drugs Zocor (simvastatin) or lovastatin (Mevacor). For more information, please see the study abstract at the IAS 2011 conference website or the Kowa Pharmaceuticals press release.

Drugs For Neglected Diseases Initiative Launches New Program For Pediatric Antiretrovirals – The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), a Switzerland-based not-for-profit research organization, has announced the launch of a new program aimed at developing child-friendly formulations of antiretrovirals for HIV-positive children. The program will focus first on developing an improved protease inhibitor-based first-line regimen for children under three years old. Researchers will also work to determine appropriate dosages, safety profiles, and child-friendly formulations for several existing antiretrovirals. For more information, please see the DNDi press release.

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EMA Approves Victrelis For Hepatitis C In Europe – The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which provides marketing authorization for drugs for the European Union, announced this week the approval of Victrelis (boceprevir) for the treatment of hepatitis C in people who are previously untreated or who failed treatment in the past. Victrelis, marketed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S.), was approved for use in combination with the current standard hepatitis C treatment, peginterferon alfa (PegIntron or Pegasys) plus ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol). Victrelis received approval in the U.S. in May, along with Incivek (telaprevir), a second new hepatitis C treatment in the same drug class. For more information, please see the Merck press release.

Government Creates New Website To Fight Discrimination Against People With HIV – The Department of Justice has created a new website to help fight discrimination against people with HIV and AIDS, which is illegal under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The website provides information about HIV’s coverage under the ADA and instructions on how to file a complaint, as well as information on past legal settlements against companies found guilty of discrimination. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, education, healthcare, and housing, among others. For more information, please see the Department of Justice’s ADA AIDS website.

New Jersey Will Implement Medical Marijuana Program – New Jersey governor Chris Christie announced yesterday that he will lift the suspension on the state’s plans to dispense medical marijuana. The governor last month delayed implementing the law to request assurance from the federal government that it would not prosecute state officials for dispensing the drug. However, despite not receiving such assurances, Governor Christie said yesterday that the state can move forward with its plans. Governors of several states have reassessed medical marijuana laws in light of recent letters from the U.S. government threatening to prosecute state employees under federal drug laws (see related AIDS Beacon news). Marijuana is not legal under federal laws, although several states have legalized it for medicinal use. For more information, please see the article in Bloomberg.

Armenia Lifts HIV Travel Ban – Armenia last week became the latest country to lift its ban restricting people with HIV from entering the country. Namibia, China, South Korea, and the U.S. have all lifted travel bans since 2010, although restrictions remain in 48 countries, territories, or areas worldwide. The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) praised the move, stating that travel bans are discriminatory and have no health or economic justifications. For more information, please see the UNAIDS press release.