BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS: First Academic Division of AIDS opens in Canada

Source: Marketwire
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS partners with the University of British Columbia in the fight against HIV/AIDS

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 24, 2007) - The University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Medicine has established Canada's first Division of AIDS (DAIDS) based at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Providence Health Care. DAIDS will attract and retain staff with the wide range of expertise needed to continue HIV/AIDS clinical care, scientific research and training. The new division is also intended to provide an academic home for researchers within the Centre, as well as other UBC affiliated institutions.

"The establishment of DAIDS recognizes both the complexities brought upon by HIV and AIDS, as well as the unique contributions made by UBC based researchers and educators over the years," says Centre director and newly appointed head of the DAIDS, Dr. Julio Montaner. "HIV/AIDS is a rapidly evolving field of medicine that requires a very specific set of skills and dedication. The formal acknowledgement of HIV/AIDS as an academic discipline within the UBC-Department of Medicine will open the door for new generations of physicians and scientists to focus their careers on this important field."

DAIDS will work collaboratively within the Department of Medicine at UBC. The division's key areas of involvement include: epidemiology, basic science, clinical science, prevention, integrated primary and specialty care, urban health and international health. The newly created Division will bring together more then 40 faculty and staff members, with plans to grow as it attracts additional academics.

Montaner was chosen as the new DAIDS head as a result of his vast knowledge and experience in HIV research and treatment, and his ability to shape modern treatment regimens that assist health care professionals to better manage the disease. Montaner is considered one of the world's outstanding clinical investigators in the field of HIV/AIDS. He is currently the president-elect of the International AIDS Society. Montaner has also been named the B.C. Innovation Council's 2007 B.C. Science and Technology Champion of the Year Award.

"Dr. Montaner's work has revolutionized patient care in the province of British Columbia," says UBC president Stephen Toope. "We are all grateful for his significant contributions to the global fight against HIV/AIDS."

In the last 20 years - particularly during the last decade - HIV/AIDS has become the fastest growing field of medicine in terms of research, therapy and service delivery methods, explains Montaner. UBC is the first academic institution in Canada to establish a Division of AIDS.

Approximately 13,000 HIV-positive men and women live in B.C., with 56,000 in total across Canada. While B.C. has the third highest number of persons living with HIV after Ontario and Quebec, the province has the highest per capita rate of HIV infection in Canada. Health economists estimate it will cost approximately $250,000 to treat and care for each of these HIV-infected Canadians over their lifetime. At this rate, it will cost nearly $2 to $4 billion to treat and care for all persons infected with HIV living in B.C. More than $58 million was spent on antiretroviral therapy alone in B.C. in the last fiscal year.

Key partners to DAIDS include the Centre, as well as the HIV Program at Providence Healthcare, AIDS Ward at St. Paul's Hospital, John Ruedy Immunodefiency Clinic (IDC) and AIDS Research Program within the Department of Medicine at UBC.

About the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

Founded in 1992 at St. Paul's Hospital by the provincial Ministry of Health, the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is a key provincial resource. The mandate of the centre is to improve the health of people with HIV through the development, ongoing monitoring and dissemination of comprehensive investigative and treatment programs for HIV and related diseases. St. Paul's Hospital is one of seven care facilities operated by Providence Health Care, Canada's largest faith-based health care organization.

For interview requests or further information relating to the Centre and its ongoing research in HIV/AIDS, please contact Stephen Burega, media relations, 604-506-3734, stephen.burega@karyo-edelman.com.

New issue of AIDS Care: Vol. 19, no 8. Sept 2007

In this issue:

Sexual dysfunction in HIV-positive men is multi-factorial: A study of prevalence and associated factors
pp. 955 – 965
Authors: D. Asboe; J. Catalan; S. Mandalia et al.
Abstract

Sexual practices of church youths in the era of HIV/AIDS: Playing the ostrich
pp. 966 – 969
Author: C. V. Nweneka
Abstract

Contexts of condom use and non-condom use among young adolescent male perpetrators of dating violence
pp. 970 – 973
Authors: A. Raj; E. Reed; E. Miller et al.
Abstract

Skinning the goat and pulling the load: transactional sex among youth in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
pp. 974 – 981
Authors: R. K. Maganja; S. Maman; A. Groves et al.
Abstract

Patient preferences among third agent HIV medications: a US and German perspective
pp. 982 – 988
Authors: K. M. Beusterien; K. Dziekan; S. Schrader et al.
Abstract

Sex, condoms, gender roles, and HIV transmission knowledge among adolescents in León, Nicaragua: Implications for HIV prevention
pp. 989 – 995
Authors: A. Manji; R. Peña; R. Dubrow
Abstract

Cost-effectiveness of clinical interventions for AIDS wasting
pp. 996 – 1001
Authors: A. Beaston-Blaakman; D. S. Shepard; N. Stone; A. H. Shevitz
Abstract

Validation of the HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument - PLWA (HASI-P)
pp. 1002 – 1012
Authors: William L. Holzemer; Leana R. Uys; Maureen L. Chirwa et al.
Abstract

Impact on HIV test providers of giving a positive test result
pp. 1013 – 1019
Authors: Ted Myers; Catherine Worthington; Jeffrey P. Aguinaldo et al.
Abstract

Predictors of workplace sexual health policy at sex work establishments in the Philippines
pp. 1020 – 1025
Authors: M. Withers; K. Dornig; D. E. Morisky
Abstract

Acceptability of tenofovir gel as a vaginal microbicide by US male participants in a Phase I clinical trial (HPTN 050)
pp. 1026 – 1031
Authors: Alex Carballo-Diéguez; Iván C. Balán; Kathleen Morrow et al.
Abstract

Condom use behaviours among 18-24 year-old urban African American males: a qualitative study
pp. 1032 – 1038
Authors: S. B. Kennedy; S. Nolen; J. Applewhite et al.
Abstract

Factors associated with discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients with alcohol problems
pp. 1039 – 1047
Authors: T. W. Kim; A. Palepu; D. M. Cheng et al.
Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy in the lives of women of colour with HIV
pp. 1048 – 1051
Authors: A. Wayson Locher; K. Pargament; J. Duggan
Abstract

Determinants and evolution of squamous intraepithelial lesions in HIV-infected women, 1991-2004
pp. 1052 – 1057
Authors: M-P. Drogoul-Vey; C. Marimoutou; A. Robaglia-Schlupp et al.
Abstract

The idiographic study of inconsistent condom use behavior of persons living with HIV
pp. 1058 – 1064
Authors: W. D. Barta; S. M. Kiene; H. Tennen et al.
Abstract

Case management community care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs)
pp. 1065 – 1072
Authors: W. Husbands; G. Browne; J. Caswell et al.
Abstract

Contact the library to request copies of articles.

Bristol-Myers/Gilead HIV treatment gets Canada approval

Source: CNN Money / DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) and Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) Wednesday said Health Canada approved the companies' Atripla for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults.

The companies said Atripla, which combines Bristol-Myers' Sustiva and Gilead's Truvada, will be Canada's first once-daily single tablet HIV regimen for use as a stand-alone therapy or in combination with other antiretrovirals. The drug, developed through a joint venture between Bristol-Myers and Gilead, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2006.

In premarket activity, shares of New York health- and personal-care products maker Bristol-Myers were trading at $29.87, up about 2.2% from Tuesday's close of $29.24. Shares of Foster City, Calif., biopharmaceutical company Gilead closed Tuesday at $42.40, up 39 cents. The stock reached a 52-week high of $43.90 on Monday.

Zambia: Male Circumcision Can Reduce a Man's Risk of HIV

Source: AllAfrica.com

Since the announcement of findings that male circumcision can reduce a man's risk of HIV infection through heterosexual sex, thousands of men have opted to be circumcised as a way of protecting themselves against being infected with the virus.

Much as male circumcision does not guarantee 100 per cent protection from contracting the virus that causes AIDS, the mere fact that it reduces the risk of infection by as much as 65 per cent is good news, and an opportunity to build on the fight against the spread of the pandemic.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a move by medical practitioners to cash in on this circumcision craze, by charging up to K350,000 for the operation.

University Teaching Hospital (UTH) management says the response witnessed so far has been overwhelming and it is those who opt to have the operation in high cost private clinics who are paying as much as K350,000.

According to UTH spokesperson Pauline Mbangweta, the operation can also be accessed at the cheaper rate of K10, 000 at low cost clinics.

The only problem with the low cost clinics is that there are so many people on the waiting list and those seeking to have the operation have to wait for almost a month before being attended to.

Click here to read the article.

bioLytical Reports Milestone Patient Enrollment in New Trial for INSTITM, 60-Second Rapid HIV Test

Source: Marketwire.com

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 16, 2007) - bioLytical Laboratories (bioLytical) today announced patient enrollment has exceeded 30% in their Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of INSTITM, a 60-second rapid HIV test for point-of-care (POC) testing. bioLytical's IDE filing was accepted by the FDA July 6, 2007.

Initial patient enrollment began July 31, 2007. As of October 15, 755 patients were enrolled, representing over 30 percent of the total enrollment. To date, 11 clinical testing sites are involved in the study and are actively enrolling patients.

"The rapid pace of enrollment clearly reflects strong interest by investigators and patients," commented Rick Galli, Chief Technical Officer at bioLytical. "Timely site activation has also accelerated our ability to register new patients. We look forward to completing the study and substantiating for the FDA the safety and efficacy of INSTITM."

Patient enrollment is expected to continue until December 2007 and include approximately 2500 patients of known and unknown HIV status in total. This multi-centre, cross-country study will include up to 15 clinical sites and one central laboratory. bioLytical has contracted with Beardsworth Consulting Group Inc. in Flemington, NJ, as the Contract Research Organization for this study.

bioLytical is a Canadian company that has developed the INSTITM Rapid Antibody Test. INSTITM is a rapid, in-vitro, qualitative test for the detection of antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Type 1 in human whole blood, serum or plasma. INSTITM is also approved for HIV Type 2 detection in a number of other international countries, including Europe, and is pending similar approval in Canada. The test is intended for use by trained personnel in medical facilities, clinical laboratories, emergency care situations, physicians' offices and any other primary care facility as a screening assay capable of providing test results in less than 60 seconds.

The US Center for Disease Control estimates that approximately 40,000 persons in the United States become infected with HIV each year. Of those, 25 percent are unaware of their infection and could be spreading the disease unknowingly. Each year up to 22 million persons in the US are tested for HIV. With current revisions to both CDC and WHO guidelines on HIV testing advocating routine HIV screening as part of regular medical practice, the market for rapid HIV tests in the US will continue to escalate.

Rapid HIV antibody tests seek to improve access to HIV testing however, most must be administered in a clinical setting. Currently available rapid tests also have longer response times that can be a deterrent for many who should be tested. INSTITM has been developed to make it ideal for use in mobile and in-field scenarios allowing all communities access and social barriers to be removed.

Click here to read the press release

New report: Sexual Health in Canada: Baseline 2007

Source: Canadian Federation for Sexual Health

This groundbreaking report represents the first ever comprehensive, national portrait of Canadians’ sexual and reproductive health. It was compiled after a thorough review of all relevant data from government and academic sources. It establishes a baseline for policy, planning and further study.

Highlights of report findings:
Trends in Canadians’ sexual and reproductive health vary distinctly by province and territory. For example:
- Youth aged 14-15 in the Maritimes & Quebec are more likely to be sexually active than those in Ontario or the western provinces (...)

Canada is way off track to meet the 2010 national goals for prevention of sexually transmitted infections set by Health Canada in 1996. The goals were to reduce the disease incidence rates. Instead they have steadily risen for all reportable STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) except HIV. In some cases the most recent disease rates are seven to nine times the level reported in 1996.

Rates of STIs among young people (15 – 24 years) show the most dramatic rise, placing this age group at the highest risk. For example, over two thirds of chlamydia cases occur among youth, although they only represent 14% of the population.
(...)

The full report is available online. A copy will be shortly available in the library.

Health Canada Approves Novel Treatment for HIV

Source: CNW Group
CELSENTRI(TM) (maraviroc) Tablets Available, First in a New Class of
Oral HIV Medicines in More than a Decade

KIRKLAND, QC, Oct. 15 /CNW/ - CELSENTRI (maraviroc) tablets, the first in a new class of oral HIV medicines in more than 10 years, is now approved and available in Canada. CELSENTRI blocks entry of HIV into T cells (CD4+ white blood cells), significantly reducing the level of HIV in treatment-experienced patients.
"There is an important need for new medicines to help the many Canadians living with HIV/AIDS who are running out of effective medications to control the virus," said Dr. Sharon Walmsley, MSc, FRCPC, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. "The approval of maraviroc is a significant breakthrough in that it provides a new class that blocks an early step in the viral life cycle that can be used for people with HIV who have developed resistance to our currently available drugs."
CELSENTRI is the first in a class of drugs known as CCR5 antagonists, which block the CCR5 co-receptor, the virus' main entry route into the body's immune cells or CD4+ cells. CELSENTRI stops the CCR5-tropic HIV-1, which is also known as "R5 virus" on the surface of the cell before it enters, rather than fighting the virus inside the cell as do all other classes of oral HIV medicines. A tropism test confirms that a patient is infected with R5 virus.
Earlier this year, Health Canada granted CELSENTRI priority review status. Priority reviews are granted to medicines that would represent an improved overall risk/benefit profile for a disease or condition not adequately managed by a medicine currently available in Canada.
"The approval of CELSENTRI is a Pfizer research and development success story," said Dr. Bernard Prigent, Vice President & Medical Director, Pfizer Canada. "Our hope is that CELSENTRI will offer a much needed new option to many people living with HIV in Canada."

Click here to read the press release.

Canadian to head effort to speed HIV vaccine

Source: The Globe and Mail
ANDRÉ PICARD
PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER

Canada's top scientist is taking on a new challenge: trying to speed up the development of an AIDS vaccine. Alan Bernstein, the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, has been appointed the first executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. The role of the new body is to get a diverse group of scientists, activists and industry to agree on a common strategy for speeding up research on an AIDS vaccine, an endeavour that has been floundering.

"Part of me was scared by the challenge," Dr. Bernstein said in an interview from Cape Town, South Africa. "But I love a challenge and there's a fantastic need for the world to have an AIDS vaccine."

An estimated 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV-AIDS, and another five million are infected each year. But attempts to create a vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus have proved fruitless, in large part because it is able to mutate quickly, it can lie dormant for years and it attacks the immune system.

"There's no question HIV is a particularly challenging foe," Dr. Bernstein said. But, at the same time, he said expectations have been unrealistic.

"New pathogens come along and it takes time to understand them. We've never had a vaccine in 20-25 years."

The CIHR, created in 2000, doles out close to $1-billion a year in research funds. The HIV Vaccine Enterprise, by contrast, will have a budget of only $1-million annually to operate its New York-based secretariat. However, it has already mobilized commitments of more than $750-million to support its scientific plan.

The enterprise plans to focus on six key areas: vaccine discovery, laboratory standardization, product development and manufacturing, clinical trials capacity, regulatory issues and intellectual property.

Stephen Lewis, the former United Nations envoy on HIV-AIDS in Africa and now the co-director of AIDS-Free World, said Dr. Bernstein is an "ideal choice to serve as a leader among leaders, co-ordinating the HIV vaccine field and working to build productive partnerships between researchers, donors and advocates."

José Esparza, senior adviser on HIV vaccines for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said the enterprise "has an important role to play in ensuring HIV vaccine development effort match the magnitude of the pandemic" and said the foundation is committed to supporting the new initiative.

New journal issue received: AIDS and Behavior, Vol. 11, no 5, September 2007

Vol. 11, no 5, September 2007
AIDS and Behavior provides an international venue for the scientific exchange of research and scholarly work on the contributing factors, prevention, consequences, social impact, and response to HIV/AIDS.

In this issue:

Some Data-Driven Reflections on Priorities in AIDS Network Research
Authors: Samuel R. Friedman, Melissa Bolyard, Pedro Mateu-Gelabert et al.
pp. 641-651
Abstract

Safe Syringe Disposal is Related to Safe Syringe Access among HIV-positive Injection Drug Users
Authors Phillip O. Coffin, Mary H. Latka, Carl Latkin et al.
pp. 652-662
Abstract

Medication Adherence and Sexual Risk Behavior among HIV-Infected Adults: Implications for Transmission of Resistant Virus
Authors: Robert H. Remien, Theresa M. Exner, Stephen F. Morin et al.
pp. 663-675
Abstract

Beliefs about Personal and Partner Responsibility among HIV-Seropositive Men Who Have Sex with Men: Measurement and Association with Transmission Risk Behavior
Authors Richard J. Wolitski, Stephen A. Flores, Ann O’Leary et al.
pp. 676-686
Abstract

Motivations and Methods for Self-disclosure of HIV Seropositivity in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors Ann Neville Miller and Donald L. Rubin
pp. 687-697
Abstract

Reducing HIV Transmission Risk by Increasing Serostatus Disclosure: A Mathematical Modeling Analysis
Authors Steven D. Pinkerton and Carol L. Galletly
pp. 698-705
Abstract

Correlates of Risk Patterns and Race/Ethnicity among HIV-Positive Men who have Sex with Men
Authors Ann O’Leary, Holly H. Fisher, David W. Purcell et al.
pp. 706-715
Abstract

HIV-positive Romanian Adolescents: Acquisition Routes, Risk Behaviors, and Psychological Correlates
Authors Blair T. Johnson and Doru Buzducea
pp. 716-725
Abstract

Ongoing Risk Behavior Among Persons With HIV in Medical Care
Authors Matthew R. Golden, Robert W. Wood, Susan E. Buskin et al.
pp. 726-735
Abstract

Educational Attainment and HIV Status among Ethiopian Voluntary Counseling and Testing Clients
Authors Heather Bradley, Amare Bedada, Heena Brahmbhatt et al.
pp. 736-742
Abstract

Migrant Latino Day Laborers and Intentions to Test for HIV
Authors Samantha F. Ehrlich, Kurt C. Organista and Doug Oman
pp. 743-752
Abstract

Acceptance of Routine Testing for HIV among Adult Patients at the Medical Emergency Unit at a National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda
Authors Damalie Nakanjako, Moses Kamya, Kyabayinze Daniel et al.
pp. 753-758
Abstract

Readiness for HIV Testing among Young People in Northern Nigeria: The Roles of Social Norm and Perceived Stigma
Author Stella Babalola
pp. 759-769
Abstract

Community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services in Rural Communities of Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand
Authors Surinda Kawichai, David D. Celentano, Suwat Chariyalertsak et al.
pp. 770-777
Abstract

HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing among Injection Drug Users in South China: A Study of a Non-Government Organization Based Program
Authors Huey T. Chen, Shaoling Liang, Quilan Liao et al.
pp. 778-788
Abstract

Contact the library to request copies of articles.

Canada gives more time to drug injection site

Source: Reuters
By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The Canadian government granted another reprieve on Tuesday to North America's only sanctioned injection site for drug addicts, saying it wants more research before deciding its fate.

Vancouver's Insite facility had faced closure at the end of the year, but Health Minister Tony Clement notified the local health authority that the injection site can stay open until June 30, 2008.

The facility, which opened in 2003 as part of a research project in Vancouver's poor, drug-infested Downtown Eastside neighborhood, needs an exemption from Canada's drug laws to remain in operation.

Ottawa has been weighing Insite's long-term future, and the six-month extension will allow continued research on its impact on efforts to promote drug treatment programs and reduce crime, Clement said.

Addicts using drugs such as heroin and cocaine are given clean needles to inject with at the facility in a room supervised by a nurse. After shooting up, they go to a "chill-out room" before returning to the street.

Insite receives more than 600 addict visits daily. Insite's supporters, including Vancouver police, say studies have already shown it has prevented overdose deaths and helped get addicts into treatment. They say it also has slowed the sharing of needles, which is how AIDS and other diseases are often spread. Insite received a similar reprieve last year.

"This is the second time that the federal government has stalled on this decision, and said that more research is needed. But the fact is, Minister Clement is asking questions that have already been answered and calling for research that's already been done," said Richard Elliott, executive director of the Canadian AIDS/HIV Legal Network.

But Insite's critics, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, have complained that the government should not be sanctioning illegal drug use. The U.S. government has complained that Insite is a weak link in Canada's anti-drug efforts.

Questions about Insite's fate had been fueled by the government's announcement last weekend that it was ready to unveil a new national drug strategy expected to emphasize a tougher stand on illegal drug use.

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which oversees the facility, was pleased with the announcement and ready to supply federal officials with any additional information they need, spokeswoman Viviana Zanocco said.

Victoria, British Columbia, has said it also wants permission to establish a drug injection facility, but the federal government has ruled out setting up any new sites until the research in Vancouver is completed.

Armour found not liable in Canadian blood taint trial

Source: Bloomberg Canada

By Joe Schneider

Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Armour Pharmaceutical Co. and a former director at the Canadian Red Cross were acquitted of criminal negligence following an 18-month trial on charges they failed to properly screen blood products that infected thousands of Canadians with hepatitis and HIV. Ontario Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Benotto released her ruling today in Toronto, finding Armour, former Canadian Red Cross chief Roger Perrault and three other officials acted properly in distributing the blood products.

"There was no conduct that showed wanton and reckless disregard," required for a criminal negligence conviction, Benotto told a courtroom filled with victims, their relatives and media. "The allegations of criminal conduct on the part of these men and this corporation were not only unsupported by evidence, they were disproved."

More than 1,000 Canadians contracted HIV and as many as 20,000 got hepatitis C from blood transfusions with tainted products in the 1980s and 1990s, according to evidence presented at the trial.

"The events here were tragic," Benotto said. "However, to assign blame where none exists is to compound the tragedy."

Armour, which had been based in New Jersey, supplied the blood-clotting agent H.T. Factorate, which had been tainted with HIV, between July 1986 and December 1987. The Red Cross had distributed the products to clinics and hospitals.

`Shocked'

"We're quite shocked at this particular decision," John Plater of the Canadian Hemophilia Society told reporters after the judge read her decision. "This certainly is not over, despite what we heard today."

Now a non-operating company, according to lawyer Brian Greenspan, Armour won a contract in 1985 to supply the Canadian Red Cross with 10 million units of Factor VIII. A year later the contract was renewed for 12 million units, prosecutor Michael Bernstein said in his opening statement Feb. 21, 2006.

The four counts of criminal negligence of which Armour was accused stem from four Canadians who developed AIDS after being treated with HIV-contaminated Factor VIII, the government said. Three of them died, Bernstein said.

Also charged with criminal negligence were John Furesz, former director of Canada's Bureau of Biologics; Donald Boucher, former chief of the blood products division of the Bureau of Biologics; and Michael Rodell, former vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at Armour.

All of the defendants were acquitted on all charges. Bernstein wasn't immediately available for comment.
The Canadian Red Cross pleaded guilty in May 2005 to distributing harmful products in contravention of the federal Food and Drugs Act and agreed to pay a C$5,000 ($5,044) fine and C$1.5 million to establish charitable foundations.

The agency had sold its blood operations in 1998 to help pay C$70 million to the people who were infected.

The case is Between Her Majesty the Queen and Armour Pharmaceutical Co., Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Toronto), Case No.: P51/04.

To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Schneider in Toronto at jschneider5@bloomberg.net .

Canada issues compulsory licence for HIV/AIDS drug export to Rwanda, in first test of WTO procedure

Source: BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest

Rwanda last week came one step closer to becoming the first nation to use a WTO procedure designed to allow developing countries to import cut-price copies of patented medicines, when Canadian patent authorities issued a compulsory licence authorising the generic production of a patented HIV/AIDS drug for export to the central African country.

"This is big step forward in finally getting at least one affordable medicine from Canada to a developing country in need," said Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. However, noting that it had already been three years since Canada introduced a legal system for making such exports possible, he said "it's also a wake-up call" about the need to simplify the process to make it more efficient and effective.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) cleared large generic pharmaceutical company Apotex to manufacture and deliver 260,000 packs of Apo-Triavir at cost to Rwandan health authorities. This would be enough to treat 21,000 AIDS patients for a year.

Rwandan WTO delegate Edouard Bizumuremyi told Bridges he was delighted with the development and said Rwanda had been "waiting for this."

The authorisation follows Rwanda's July notification to the WTO that it wanted to import that quantity of the medicine from Canada (see BRIDGES Weekly, 25 July 2007), becoming the first country to try to import generics under a WTO procedure criticised as too complex to be effective. (...)

Click here to read the entire article.

New journal received: AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Vol. 21, no 8, August 2007

Free access to this issue!

Case Report: Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with Disseminated Mycobacterial Infection in Patients with AIDS
Felipe Francisco Tuon, Grace Carvajal Mulatti, Walkyria Pereira Pinto, Francisco Oscar De Siqueira Franca, Ronaldo Cesar Gryschek
pp. 527-532.
Full Text PDF

TORO: Ninety-Six-Week Virologic and Immunologic Response and Safety Evaluation of Enfuvirtide with an Optimized Background of Antiretrovirals
Jacques Reynes, Keikawus Arastéh, Bonaventura Clotet, Calvin Cohen, David A. Cooper, Jean-François Delfraissy, Joseph J. Eron, Keith Henry, Christine Katlama, Daniel R. Kuritzkes, Jacob P. Lalezari, Joep Lange, Adriano Lazzarin, Julio S.G. Montaner, Mark Nelson, Mary O' Hearn, Hans-Jürgen Stellbrink, Benoit Trottier, Sharon L. Walmsley, Neil E. Buss, et al.
pp. 533-543.
Full Text PDF

Utility of Repeat Genotypic Resistance Testing and Clinical Response in Patients with Three Class Resistance and Virologic Treatment Failure
Sheila M. Badri, Oluwatoyin M. Adeyemi, Blake E. Max, Bala N. Hota, David E. Barker
544-550.
Full Text PDF

Attitudes and Perceptions of AIDS Clinical Trials Group Site Coordinators on HIV Clinical Trial Recruitment and Retention: A Descriptive Study
William D. King, Donna Defreitas, Kimberly Smith, Janet Andersen, Lisa Patton Perry, Toyin Adeyemi, Jennifer Mitty, Jan Fritsche, Carrie Jeffries, Melvin Littles, Margaret Fischl, Gregory Pavlov, Donna Mildvan, Underrepresented Populations Committee of the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG)
pp. 551-563.
Full Text PDF

Adherence, Drug Use, and Treatment Failure in a Methadone-Clinic–Based Program of Directly Administered Antiretroviral Therapy
Gregory M. Lucas, B. Anna Mullen, Mary E. McCaul, Paul J. Weidle, Shannon Hader, Richard D. Moore
pp. 564-574.
Full Text PDF

Characteristics of a Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men, Recruited from Gay Bars and Internet Chat Rooms, Who Report Methamphetamine Use
Scott D. Rhodes, Kenneth C. Hergenrather, Leland J. Yee, Emily Knipper, Aimee M. Wilkin, Morrow R. Omli
pp. 575-583.
Full Text PDF

The Effect of Perceived Stigma from a Health Care Provider on Access to Care Among a Low-Income HIV-Positive Population
Janni J. Kinsler, Mitchell D. Wong, Jennifer N. Sayles, Cynthia Davis, William E. Cunningham
pp. 584-592.
Full Text PDF

Inequality and Unwillingness to Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Survey of Medical Professionals in Southeast China
Guoxi Cai, Kazuhiko Moji, Sumihisa Honda, Xiaonan Wu, Konglai Zhang
pp. 593-601.
Full Text PDF

Antiviral Briefs
pp. 602-605.
Full Text PDF

Drug Developments and STD News
pp. 606-608.
Full Text PDF

George Michael cuts HIV interview

Source: BBC News

Pop star George Michael has asked for an interview in which he discusses his fears of having HIV to be removed from a forthcoming BBC programme. The BBC has confirmed the interview will no longer feature in the documentary, Stephen Fry: HIV and Me.

Michael's former partner, Anselmo Feleppa, died of an Aids-related illness in 1995.

"On reflection, he felt it was too close and too personal a journey," said a spokesman for the singer, 44.

He added: "It was too personal for Anselmo's family to revisit."

'No tests'
When the documentary was launched in July, the BBC revealed details of Michael's interview.
"George says he does not believe in tests," said producer Ross Wilson. "He says he finds the wait for results too harrowing and that he hasn't had a test since at least 2004 due to his fears it might be positive."

The two-part programme will examine how HIV is spreading and show Fry taking an HIV test himself. Michael is still set to appear in this year's festive edition of Catherine Tate's BBC comedy programme. (...)

HIV sequences cannot prove guilt

Source: NewScientist News Service

People infected with HIV might well want to know who gave it to them - but the genetic sequence of their virus won't tell them.

The virus is now routinely sequenced in each infected person to uncover drug-resistance genes, but virus sequences have also been used in several high-profile court cases by lawyers seeking to show who infected whom. This has led some HIV carriers to wonder if they might be able to do the same.

"The data won't work for that," warns Deenan Pillay of University College London - because HIV evolves too fast. This means that even though the viruses from two people may look similar, other local viruses may even be more alike. Analysing them can't show whether A infected B or vice versa, whether it went through a third person or whether both were infected by another person (BMJ, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39315.398843.BE).

However, the British database - now the world's largest collection of viral sequences from a national epidemic - could answer other important questions. For example, it could tell us whether certain strains tend to spread among certain risk groups, or where the super-spreaders of HIV are.

From issue 2621 of New Scientist magazine, 19 September 2007, page 5

New book in the library: HIV Reference Manual

Cairns, Gus (ed.) HIV reference manual
London, NAM Publications, 2007
C 200 HIV 2007
"HIV is more than a medical condition and the HIV Reference Manual is your guide to understanding the complex picture of HIV. It explains the wider interplay of social cultural, economic and legal factors that impact on people living with HIV and those working to support them" (From: http://www.aidsmap.com/cms1230954.asp).

Key topics include:

- benefits - helping people with HIV understand their entitlements
- the epidemiology of HIV
- HIV and the law – major update on confidentiality, disclosure and medical professional standards and immigration law
- HIV in 2007 – updated analysis of the UK and global
- HIV statistics
- helping people get the most out of the services available
- how HIV status affects asylum applications – the rights of asylum seekers explained, including rights to medical treatment on the NHS
- the impact of HIV on the communities most affected
- the latest prevention research – new technologies and strategies, including the debate on circumcision
- quality of life – how HIV may impact upon mental health rights under the Disability Discrimination Act
- women & HIV

New Issue of AIDS Care: Vol. 19, no 7, August 2007

AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
In this issue:

Original Articles

Is AIDS chronic or terminal? The perceptions of persons living with AIDS and their informal support partners
pp. 835 – 843
Authors: C. P. Hoy-Ellis; K. I. Fredriksen-Goldsen
Abstract

Gender relations in the context of HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa
pp. 844 – 849
Authors: Catherine Ndinda; Ufo Okeke Uzodike; Chiweni Chimbwete; Robert Pool
Abstract

To determine factors in an initiation of a same-sex relationship in rural China: using ethnographic decision model
pp. 850 – 857
Authors: W. C. W. Wong; T. S. K. Kong
Abstract

The social epidemiology of HIV transmission among African American women who use drugs and their social network members
pp. 858 – 865
Authors: M. Miller; C. T. Korves; T. Fernandez
Abstract

Coping with AIDS-related bereavement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
pp. 866 – 870
Author: C. Demmer
Abstract

Local understanding of an HIV vaccine and its relationship with HIV-related stigma in the Dominican Republic
pp. 871 – 877
Authors: C. Barrington; L. Moreno; D. Kerrigan
Abstract

Health-seeking behaviour for sexually transmitted infections and HIV testing among female sex workers in Vietnam
pp. 878 – 887
Authors: A. D. Ngo; E. A. Ratliff; S. A. McCurdy; M. W. Ross; C. Markham; H. T. B. Pham
Abstract

Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV): A Turkish perspective
pp. 888 – 894
Authors: H. A. Bekta; Ö. Kulakaç
Abstract

Using the theory of planned behaviour to understand the motivation to learn about HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents in Tigray, Ethiopia
pp. 895 – 900
Authors: H. Gebreeyesus Hadera; Henk Boer; W. A. J. M. Kuiper
Abstract

HIV-related traumatic stress symptoms in AIDS caregiving family dads
pp. 901 – 909
Authors: R. G. Wight; K. P. Beals; D. Miller-Martinez; D. A. Murphy; C. S. Aneshensel
Abstract

Care centre visits to married people living with HIV: An indicator for measuring AIDS-related stigma & discrimination
pp. 910 – 915
Authors: D. A. Green; S. Devi; L. S. Paulraj
Abstract

Comprehension of sexual situations and its relationship to risky decisions by young adults
pp. 916 – 922
Authors: V. L. Patel; N. A. Yoskowitz; D. R. Kaufman
Abstract

Quality of life in HIV-positive Brazilians: application and validation of the WHOQOL-HIV, Brazilian version
pp. 923 – 930
Authors: R. R. Zimpel; M. P. Fleck
Abstract

Sex work and risk behaviour among HIV-negative gay men
pp. 931 – 934
Authors: G. Prestage; L. Mao; F. Jin; A. Grulich; J. Kaldor; S. Kippax
Abstract

Return to post-test counselling by out-of-treatment injecting drug users participating in a cross-sectional survey in north Vietnam
pp. 935 – 939
Authors: A. Bergenstrom; V. Go; L. V. Nam; B. T. Thuy; D. D. Celentano; C. Frangakis; V. M. Quan
Abstract

Characteristics of bisexually active men in the Seropositive Urban Mens' Study (SUMS)
pp. 940 – 946
Authors: A. O'Leary; D. W. Purcell; R. H. Remien; H. E. Fisher; P. S. Spikes
Abstract

Contact the library to request copies of articles.

New Strategy Could Dramatically Slow The Spread Of HIV

Source: Science daily

Giving a daily antiretroviral pill to people to prevent HIV could profoundly slow the spread of the infection in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is a full-blown epidemic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers report.

Published by the Public Library of Science in the Sept. 19 issue of PLoS One, the findings are based on a mathematical model developed by the researchers to predict the public-health impact of pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrEP) -- an HIV prevention strategy that uses antiretroviral drugs, currently given in combination to treat HIV-positive individuals, to stop the infection from occurring in the first place.

Through the model, the research team predicts that PrEP, targeted to those at highest behavioral risk, could have a major impact on public health, potentially preventing 3.2 million cases of HIV in southern sub-Saharan Africa alone in 10 years. Sub-Saharan Africa, the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS global epidemic, contains almost 63 percent of the world's HIV-infected population, totaling about 22.4 million adults.

Click here to read the entire article.
The article plublished in PLoS One is available here

Voluntary HIV-screening for all adult male inpatients at hospitals

Source: Channel News Asia
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 September 2007

SINGAPORE: By year's end, all adult male patients admitted to hospitals will be asked if they would like to take a HIV-screening test.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Tuesday he is also changing the Infectious Diseases Act soon so that no one will be able to claim ignorance of one's HIV-positive status as defence against charges of high-risk behaviour.

He said: "All individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour must go for regular HIV-testing. The Infectious Diseases Act makes it an offence for someone who is HIV-positive to have sex without informing his sexual partner of his HIV status. I will soon come to this House to amend the Act to clarify that ignorance of one's HIV status will not be a defence for those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour."

There are 3,338 known HIV-infected patients in Singapore, with 278 infected in the first eight months of this year. But what is worrying, Mr Khaw said, is the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV.

Click here to read the entire article

Number of Partners Doesn't Explain Gay HIV Rate

Source: HealthDay News
Gay, straight men equally prone to unprotected sex, research shows

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter


THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The HIV epidemic among gay men can't be explained by their number of sexual partners, U.S. researchers report.

More than half the new HIV infections diagnosed in the United States in 2005 were among gay men, a team at the University of Washington, Seattle, noted. In addition, as many as one in five gay men living in cities may be HIV-positive.

But the sexual behaviors of gay and heterosexual men in the United States may not be as different as most people think, the researchers said. In fact, two surveys found that most gay men have a similar rate of sex with unprotected partners compared to straight men or women.

"Just because gay men continue to have much higher levels of HIV, we can't jump to the conclusion that that means that they are promiscuous or that prevention messages aren't working," said lead researcher Steven Goodreau, an assistant professor of anthropology.

In the study, Goodreau and a colleague, Dr. Matthew R. Golden, analyzed data from two large population-based surveys. Using those figures, they estimated how many sex partners gay men and straight men and women have, and what number of gay men have either insertive or receptive anal sex, or both.

The report is published in the Sept. 12 online edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections. (Access to abstract)

Click here to read the article.

New issue of the Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social services (Vol. 6, no 3)

The Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services provides a forum in which social workers and other professionals in the field of HIV/AIDS work can access the latest research and techniques in order to provide effective social, educational, and clinical services to all individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. From best practices and advice on case management to evaluations of the impact of various legislation and social policy decisions, this journal will keep you at the forefront of the field!

In this issue:

Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavior in the Context of HIV/AIDS Stigma
pp. 1 - 4
Nathan L. Linsk PhD, Dorie J. Gilbert PhD

Opening Up Windows When Clients Keep Closing Doors: Key Elements in Engaging HIV-Positive Individuals in Prevention Interventions
pp. 5 - 28
Sheri B. Kirshenbaum PhD, Rogerio M. Pinto PhD, Jacqueline Correale MPH et all.

Understanding Motivations for Sex Among Detained Youth: Implications for HIV Prevention Programs
pp. 29 - 41
Dexter R. Voisin PhD, Laura F. Salazar PhD, Richard A. Crosby PhD, Ralph J. DiClemente PhD

Extending the Use of the 40-Item HIV-Stigma Scale to Older Adults: An Examination of Reliability and Validity
pp. 43 - 54
Charles A. Emlet PhD, ACSW

The Impact of HIV-Related Stigma on HIV Care and Prevention Providers
pp. 55 - 73
Michael Reece PhD, MPH, Amanda E. Tanner PhD, MPH, Stephen E. Karpiak PhD, Kate Coffey PhD, MSc

Guyanese Health Care Providers' HIV-Related Experiences, Attitudes, and Readiness to Provide Care
pp. 75 - 96
Cynthia Cannon Poindexter MSW, PhD

A Comparison of Grief Reactions in Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Suicide Bereavement
pp. 97 - 112
James A. Houck PhD

Contact the library to request copies of articles.

Peru blood banks face HIV crisis

Source: BBC News

Dozens of blood banks in Peru have been closed after at least four people were infected with the HIV virus through contaminated transfusions.
The government said all 240 of the country's facilities would be thoroughly screened, amid what is being described as a national emergency. The patients were all infected at a hospital in the port city of Callao. Officials insisted Peru's blood banks met international standards and urged people to continue giving blood.

"We do not want people to panic, what we have to do is be more careful, strengthen our care [of patients]," said Health Minister Carlos Vallejos.

Public alarm

The crisis was prompted after 44-year-old Judith Rivera contacted the media earlier this week to say she had been infected with HIV during a routine operation. Mrs Rivera, a mother of four, said she was taking legal action to claim compensation.

"What is done is done, as they say, and a life has no price tag," she said during a news conference.

Health officials later revealed that three other patients had been infected with the virus after having blood transfusions at the same hospital - one of them a child aged 11 months.

The Washington-based Pan American Health Organization says its latest figures show that up to a quarter of the blood in Peru's banks is not properly screened. In a further blow to the health system, officials also confirmed that 30 patients who attended a dialysis treatment centre had been infected with Hepatitis C. The BBC's Dan Collyns, in Lima, says Peruvians are alarmed and are avoiding public hospitals. He says the government's response to the crisis is unlikely to restore public confidence in the country's flagging health service.

European researchers develop method of calculating short-term risk of HIV disease progression

Source: AIDSMAP

A new HIV risk score can accurately calculate the short term risk of HIV disease progression, according to researchers who have tested it in a cohort of 5150 HIV-infected people. The research is published in the September edition of AIDS.

The researchers hope the scoring system – which will soon be available on the web – will make treatment decisions easier for both patients and clinicians.

Other prognostic HIV scores have been developed but have tended to be designed to predict long-term clinical progression in patients before they have started antiretroviral therapy. They have also not used routinely measured lab values.

The new tool, called the EuroSIDA risk score, has been designed to be used in people already on anti-HIV treatment and calculates the risk of disease progression in the short-term, for example three, six or twelve months. (...)

Click here to read the entire article

New Issue of AIDS Education and Prevention (Vol. 19, no 4, August 2007)

In this issue:


Focusing HIV Prevention on Those Most Likely to Transmit the Virus
Authors: Gary R. West, Amy L. Corneli, Kim Best, Katie M. Kurkjian and William Cates Jr.
pp. 275-288
Abstract

Interaction of Cognitive Performance and Knowing Someone Who Has Died from AIDS on HIV Risk Behaviors
Authors: Mary M. Mitchell, S. Geoff Severtson and William W. Latimer
pp. 289-297
Abstract

HIV–Related Communication and Perceived Norms: An Analysis of the Connection Among Injection Drug Users
Authors: Melissa A. Davey–Rothwell and Carl A. Latkin
pp. 298-309
Abstract

Changes in Sexual Behavior during a Safety and Feasibility Trial of a Microbicide/Diaphragm Combination: An Integrated Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Greg Guest, Laura Johnson, Holly Burke, Reathe Rain-Taljaard, Lawrence Severy, Claire von Mollendorf and Lut Van Damme
pp. 310-320
Abstract

Current Sexual Activity and Risky Sexual Behavior in Older Men With or At Risk for HIV Infection
Authors: Nina A. Cooperman, Julia H. Arnsten and Robert S. Klein
pp. 321-333
Abstract

Sexual Behaviors of Individuals With HIV Living in South India: A Qualitative Study
Authors: A.K. Sri Krishnan, Ellen Hendriksen, Snigda Vallabhaneni,
pp. 334-345
Abstract

Structural Violence Against Kothi–Identified Men Who Have Sex with Men in Chennai, India: A Qualitative Investigation
Authors: Venkatesan Chakrapani, Peter A. Newman, Murali Shunmugam,
pp. 346-364
Abstract

AIDS Vancouver rides a custom chopper to 'Spread The Word'

There is no cure for HIV disease and infection rates continue to increase. There were 420 positive HIV test results in Vancouver in 2005 bringing the total to 12,342 since 1989.

That's why AIDS Vancouver and Vancouver Custom Chopper are launching the AIDS Vancouver Custom Chopper Raffle to help spread the word about HIV disease.

"We all have a responsibility to protect ourselves and others," said William Booth, executive director for AIDS Vancouver. "Don't ask don't tell doesn't work."

Of the 2,500 Canadians that will test positive for HIV this year 1,300 won't know where they contracted the infection according to AIDS Vancouver's national statistics.

"The demand for care and support services is greater than we can meet," Booth said. "We are only getting resources for delivering support programs but not for prevention. Yet if we invested more resources for prevention we would need much less for services."

A United Nations Population Fund report released globally last month states there is an estimated 30 per cent HIV prevalence rate in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside- the same as Botswana.

"We wanted to make this chopper special for AIDS Vancouver," Teather said. "AIDS is a horrible disease and it's affecting our young people so we want to help AIDS Vancouver in the work they are doing to fight this disease."

The prize motorcycle is a 2007 Phantom Chopper designed by Vancouver Chopper owner Troy Teather and comes with an 88 cubic inch Harley Davidson engine, a Berrie Dale original stitch-leather seat and a 70's throwback James Brown paint theme.

"While we have made tremendous progress over the years, increasing awareness must remain a top priority in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan. "This is why it is so important to 'Spread The Word.' There is a risk of complacency associated with the success we have achieved."

For More Information or to set up interviews please contact John Pigeon at 604-987-9699 or by email at johnp@vancouverchopper.com
Click here for the downloadable form to order tickets.

Drug deaths too high in Downtown Eastside: study

Source: CTV News

VANCOUVER -- A report on illegal drug use in Vancouver says deaths were down in Vancouver and the rest of B.C. for 2006.

However, residents of the Downtown Eastside don't fare well in the report from the Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use. It says residents there have seven times the provincial rate of drug-induced deaths and a 33 per cent higher death rate than the rest of the province.

Vancouver's rate of newly diagnosed hepatitis C cases declined from 2006 and new cases of HIV were down from 2005 in connection to intravenous drug use. The report also says the weight of ecstasy seized by police in 2005 is over 40 times that seized in 2002.

The group says the study was done to provide policy makers and community leaders with better information to help develop harm reduction and prevention techniques to reduce drug use.

Recent acquisitions on Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Barlow, David. Sexually transmitted infections : The facts
Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006
B 700 BAR 2006 (Click on call number to borrow this book!)
"With all the attention heaped upon the most deadly sexually transmitted infection of all (HIV), other non-fatal forms of infection have been somewhat neglected, and even overlooked in sexual education. However, incidences of STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea have been dramatically and silently rising in many parts of the world in recent years - though receiving far less attention. It is now recognized that this is a major public health issue, affecting thousands of people, irrespective of background, education or social class. Providing essential information on all the main forms of sexually transmitted infections, the book delivers essential, accessible, pragmatic, information that should be read by all adults."

Canadian guidelines on sexually transmitted infections
Ottawa, ON, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006
B 700 CAN 2006
Available online: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti_2006/pdf/sti2006_e.pdf

Sutton, Amy L. (Ed.) Sexually transmitted diseases sourcebook : Basic consumer health information about Chlamydial infections, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, Human papillomavirus, Pubic lice, Scabies, Syphilis, Trichmoniasis, Vaginal infections and other sexually transmitted diseases, including facts about risks factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections; along with updates on current research initiatives, a glossary of related terms and resources for additional help and information.
Detroit, USA, Omnigraphics, 2006
Call number: B 700 SEX 2006

Sexually Transmitted Infections : A guide for people with HIV
London, UK, Terrence Higgins Trust, 2005
Available online
This booklet explains some of the specific issues about STIs relevant to people with HIV. It explains how STIs might impact on their health, and on the risks of HIV transmission. It also gives guidance on screening and treatment.

HIV & sex
London, UK, NAM, 2006
Available online.
"This booklet is an introduction to sexual health for people with HIV. It is in two broad sections. The first looks at how having HIV might affect the way you regard sex.The second section explains why sexual health is important and the steps you can take to protect your own and other people's sexual health. This booklet is not intended to replace discussion with your doctor. However, it might help you to decide what questions you would like answered."

All these publications are available in the library. Visit us or contact us to borrow them.

Uganda: Country's Invisible Cure for HIV/Aids

Source: AllAfrica

John Donnelly
Kampala

HALFWAY through The Invisible Cure, author Helen Epstein writes about finding a long- forgotten document in a small research library in Canada. Reading through the paper, Epstein says, "I felt as though a small stick of dynamite had gone off in my head."

Epstein had unearthed a rare copy of a detailed study on the sexual behaviour of Ugandans in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a period that coincided with the country's historic drop in HIV rates. In short, Epstein knew, the research done by Maxine Ankrah, an African-American academic, would give invaluable insights into what had halted the epidemic - insights that could then be applied to other countries with high rates of H.I.V. and Aids.

Before Epstein's discovery, Ankrah's research seemed destined for oblivion. A United Nations Aids researcher had read it, failed to understand its significance or to credit it and, Epstein recounts, wrongly concluded that an increase in condom use was responsible for the decrease of the HIV rate in Uganda. In reality, according to three later analyses of Ankrah's study, the primary reason for the decline was completely different: substantial numbers of Ugandans had ended affairs and remained faithful to one partner

Uganda has long been a focal point in the contentious world of Aids policy. But sometimes a bolt of clarity shoots out of the blue, as it did for Epstein when she read Ankrah's paper - and as it will for readers of this book who yearn for insights on how a deadly virus now infects an estimated 25 million Africans and has killed untold millions more. Reading The Invisible Cure is like travelling into remote and hard-to comprehend territory with an unblinking and sure-footed guide. (...)

Click here to view the complete text of this book review.
The Invisible cure is also available in the library. Use our catalogue to borrow it.

Alcohol consumption linked to HIV disease progression, study shows

Source: Science daily

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found a link between alcohol consumption and HIV disease progression in HIV-infected persons.

Alcohol use is common among HIV-infected persons, and its impact on HIV disease progression has been examined in in-vitro, animal and human studies. Alcohol may adversely affect immunologic function in HIV-infected persons by various mechanisms, including increased HIV replication in lymphocytes.

Researchers assessed CD4 cell counts, HIV RNA levels [viral load], and alcohol consumption in 595 HIV-infected persons with alcohol problems. The relation of HIV disease progression to alcohol consumption was studied using longitudinal regression models controlling for known prognostic factors, including adherence and depressive symptoms, and stratified by antiretroviral therapy (ART) use. Among subjects who were not on ART, heavy alcohol consumption was associated with a lower CD4 cell count. Among subjects who were on ART, heavy alcohol consumption was not associated with a lower CD4 cell count or higher HIV viral load. "

Alcohol use in patients with a prevalent disease such as HIV, can have important public health consequences," said lead author Jeffrey Samet, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine at BUSM and chief of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center. "HIV-infected persons who drink alcohol heavily and are not on ART might decrease their risk of disease progression if they abstain from alcohol use."

Researchers further noted that there is extensive evidence about the efficacy of a brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in nondependent drinkers in medical settings and of the efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments for alcohol dependence. "Although limited evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of intervention for alcohol problems specifically in people with HIV, its implementation among HIV-infected populations seems to be a worthwhile goal," according to senior author Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at BUSM, director of the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit at Boston Medical Center, and associate director of the Boston University School of Public Health Youth Alcohol Prevention Center.

The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Contact the library to request a copy.

Food 'no substitute' in HIV fight

Source: BBC News

Scientists in South Africa say they have found no evidence that healthier eating is a substitute for medical drugs when treating HIV/Aids and TB. This follows an exhaustive study on the links between nutrition and treatment. South Africa's health minister has faced ridicule in the past for stressing the benefits of beetroot, garlic and potatoes in fighting HIV. South Africa has one of the world's highest HIV infection rates and has increased the rollout of Aids drugs.

Controversy

The researchers say that scientific evidence about conditions in South Africa was urgently needed. The report by the Academy of Science of South Africa concludes that no food has been identified as an effective alternative to appropriate medication in fighting HIV/Aids and tuberculosis. It acknowledges that nutrition is important for general health, but is not sufficient to contain either the HIV/Aids or the TB epidemic. It says a well-fed population on its own will not resist HIV/Aids without anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs.

Controversial Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been criticised for over-emphasising the importance of nutrition, and under-playing the role of ARVs. But the government has now adopted a comprehensive approach and about 280,000 people were on ARV treatment at the end of March this year. However, that is still well short of the estimated 800,000 who are thought to need ARVs in South Africa.

New issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Vol. 21, no 7, July 2007

In this issue:

Case Report: An Uncommon Presentation of HIV-Related Lymphoma
pp. 443-446.
Abstract

Merkel Cell Carcinoma and HIV Infection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
pp. 447-451.
Abstract

Global Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with HIV Infection: Concordance and Differences in Estimates According to Three Risk Equations (Framingham, SCORE, and PROCAM)
pp. 452-457.
Abstract

Tobacco Addiction and HIV Infection: Toward the Implementation of Cessation Programs. ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort
pp. 458-468.
Abstract

Risk Factors for Grade 3–4 Liver Enzyme Elevation in HIV and Hepatitis C Coinfected Patients on Combination Antiretroviral Therapy
pp. 469-478.
Abstract

Hepatitis C Infection Is Associated with Lower Lipids and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in HIV-Infected Men
pp. 479-491.
Abstract

Disclosure of Positive HIV Serostatus by Men Who Have Sex with Men to Family and Friends Over Time
pp. 492-500.
Abstract

Posttraumatic Stress and Trauma History in Adolescents and Young Adults with HIV
pp. 501-508.
Abstract

Experiences and Perceptions of Patients with 100% Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: A Qualitative Study
pp. 509-520.
Abstract

130 Canadian doctors call on Prime Minister to support InSite

Source: CNW Group

VANCOUVER, Aug. 21 /CNW/ - The executive directors of PHS Community Services Society (PHS), one of the operators of Canada's only supervised injection site, have responded to yesterday's comments by Minister of Health Tony Clement by pointing to a commentary published today, supported by 130 doctors and scientists, that states the treatment of substance abuse is being judged by "an entirely different standard than the treatment of other common conditions".

The commentary by respected University of Toronto research scientist, Stephen Hwang, was published today in Open Medicine and says that the current uncertainty over InSite's future is "an alarming example of a recent trend towards the increased politicization of science".

"In a series of peer-reviewed research articles, the supervised injection facility in Vancouver has been shown to provide a number of benefits, including reduced needle sharing, decreased public drug use, fewer publicly discarded syringes, and more rapid entry into detoxification services by persons using the facility," the commentary reads.

The commentary, Science and Ideology: A Call for Action, can be read in full here:
http://www.communityinsite.ca/Commentary%20-%20Science%20and%20Ideology_CMAJ-1.htm

"This commentary reflects our view that any judgment on InSite should be a health issue, not a political issue," said Liz Evans, executive director of PHS. "This latest academic commentary, and its high-level of support from the scientific community, adds to the overwhelming consensus that InSite saves lives and improves public safety in our communities."

A total of 24 peer-reviewed papers have been published over the last few years in prestigious medical journals including the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the British Medical Journal, stating that InSite has reduced public injections, overdose fatalities, and the transmission of blood-borne infections, like HIV and Hepatitis C.

On Friday, PHS and two addicted people who use InSite issued a statement of claim in the BC Supreme Court that questions the need for its current exemption from the Federal Government of Canada to continue to operate.

"We would rather not be in court on this issue, but we see this as an opportunity to get some much-needed clarification on the future of InSite," said Mark Townsend, executive director of PHS. "We need to be able to operate on a long-term basis, so that we can move past this recurring debate and focus on continuing to save lives."

HIV denialists spread misinformation online: Consequences could be deadly

Source: Science Daily

The Internet is serving as a fertile medium for "HIV denialists" to spread false ideas about HIV/AIDS, which could have terrible public health consequences, say scientists in a policy paper in PLoS Medicine.

"It may seem remarkable that, 23 years after the identification of HIV, there is still denial that the virus is the cause of AIDS," say Tara Smith (University of Iowa College of Public Health) and Steven Novella (Yale University School of Medicine). But with the arrival of the Internet, HIV denialist organizations such as "Reappraising AIDS" have reignited their campaign to spread misinformation.

There is a consensus in the scientific community that HIV is the cause of AIDS, based upon over two decades of robust research. Deniers must therefore reject this consensus, say Smith and Novella, "either by denigrating the notion of scientific authority in general, or by arguing that the mainstream HIV community is intellectually compromised."

It is therefore not surprising, they say, that much of the newer denial literature on the Internet reflects a basic distrust of authority and of the institutions of science and medicine. Distrusting mainstream medical practitioners, many HIV deniers turn to unproven "alternative" medicines in search of treatment.

Many members of the general public do not have the scientific background to critique the assertions put forth by these groups, say Smith and Novella. Those who believe the false information spread by HIV denialists could end up putting themselves at risk of HIV infection (e.g. by abandoning safe sex), while those who are already infected could end up seeking unproven, ineffective remedies.

"The effect of denial groups on public perception of HIV infection is an area ripe for careful research," they say "as this denial can have lethal consequences."

Citation: Smith TC, Novella SP (2007) HIV denial in the Internet era. PLoS Med 4(8): e256. (available here)

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Public Library of Science.

Canadians want to ramp up global AIDS initiatives: poll

Source: CBC News

Most Canadians want the federal government to help increase access to treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS in developing countries, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll released Friday. Ninety-one per cent of those surveyed said that it's "very important" (46 per cent) or "somewhat important" (45 per cent) that the federal government should help facilitate access to drugs and medical treatments.

Residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were most likely to believe this is important, accounting for 93 per cent of the responses. Forty-eight per cent of respondents felt that current spending on HIV and AIDS outside of Canada is too little, while 43 per cent said the government spends "the right amount."

Stephen Lewis, board chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, told CBC.ca that the poll highlights a large divide between the views of Canadians and their politicians. He spoke at a press conference in Toronto announcing the results of the Ipsos-Reid poll.

"I've never fully understood that. The G8 governments have always had this extraordinary disconnect between what obviously the public feels about the issue and what the politicians express or do on the issue. I don't know what that means," he said. "Does it mean that the budget is more important than human well-being? How do they go to Africa for their photo ops and then they come back and it's business as usual?"

Lewis used the press conference to lobby the federal government for more aid. "We are calling on Canada to provide five per cent of the global [AIDS] fund, which is $900 million over the next three years."

Read the rest of the article
More information here: http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=3596

Rare blood virus found in almost 4 in 1,000 in Nunavut

Source: CBC News

Almost four in every 1,000 people in Nunavut may have a rare, incurable yet preventable virus called HTLV-1, a research report prepared for the Nunavut government has found. Known as the Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type One, HTLV-1 is transmitted through sexual intercourse, breastfeeding, blood-to-blood contact and needle sharing. In less than five per cent of those infected, it can cause cancer of the blood and disorders affecting the bladder, legs and nervous system.

The overall prevalance rate of the virus in the territory is still low at 3.7 for every 1,000 people. But health officials are stressing the importance of safer sex practices and testing, said Dr. Geraldine Osborne, Nunavut's associate medical officer of health

"It's a concern as much as any sexually transmitted disease — as much as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, all these other viruses that are here that are preventable," Osborne told CBC News.
The study, which had its final report published in July, was prepared by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Nunavut Health and Social Services.

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bioLytical Gains Support of BC Persons with AIDS Society and AIDS Vancouver in HIV Testing and Awareness Campaign

Source: bioLytical Laboratories

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Aug. 9, 2007) - bioLytical today announced the added support of the BC Persons with AIDS Society and AIDS Vancouver for the inaugural Test Your Commitment Campaign. Through the campaign bioLytical hopes to bring increased awareness to HIV and the ease of being tested. Running August 10th at the Vancouver Art Gallery and August 11th at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, the Test Your Commitment campaign will feature live demonstrations of the INSTITM kit, the only Health Canada approved rapid HIV test for point-of-care testing. At 60 seconds for a reading, the INSTITM HIV test is the fastest HIV diagnostic test in the world.

Upon consultation with local HIV/AIDS community groups, including BC People With AIDS Society (BCPWA) and AIDS Vancouver, bioLytical agreed the public would be best served with an HIV awareness and education campaign. 15,000 Canadians are HIV positive and do not know it.

Community organizations raised concerns that testing public venues would risk confidentiality of test results. As an alternative solution, it was decided to showcase the INSTITM kit through live testing of public personas and local celebrities. While the focus of the campaign will be on the importance of getting tested for HIV, actual testing will be encouraged in private point-of-care facilities across the province. AIDS Vancouver will be on hand supporting the event by providing educational support and information.

"These community organizations work directly within HIV communities and are an invaluable source of knowledge and insight into events such as this," comments Carl Roy, CEO bioLytical, "We appreciate their concerns and recognize the importance of confidentiality."

BCPWA Society and AIDS Vancouver recognize the benefits the INSTITM kit offers in terms of increasing the accessibility of HIV testing. Both groups believe the INSTITM kit, when applied together with confidential care and counselling, will benefit HIV/AIDS education, prevention and care.

"The INSTITM kit provides a welcome advancement in addressing the HIV epidemic," says Paul Lewand, Chair of BCPWA. "Being able to obtain HIV test results in just 60 seconds makes HIV testing much more accessible and convenient. The rapidity of the test could translate to greater numbers being tested and becoming aware of their HIV status. The sooner HIV positive people are aware of their status, the sooner they can implement an appropriate care and treatment regime, and the sooner they can take steps necessary to avoid further infections."

"AIDS Vancouver welcomes new opportunities to increase public education and awareness about HIV disease. Combined with proper standards for client-confidentiality, informed consent and counselling, the point of contact test kit has potential to be an extremely useful tool for health care providers," comments William Booth, Executive Director, AIDS Vancouver. "We appreciate that bioLytical recognizes the importance of collaborating with community-based organizations such as AIDS Vancouver, who provide care and support services for individuals living with HIV disease."

Currently in British Columbia, the INSTITM test is only available at limited locations. Though approved for use by all point-of-care facilities, the provincial healthcare system has yet to cover the cost of the kit under the current healthcare plan. It is hoped that B.C. will follow the example of the Ontario government and offer the test free of charge as part of the provincial healthcare system. Such government funding would alleviate supply demands on individual clinics and physicians.

ABOUT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA PERSONS WITH AIDS SOCIETY

The British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society (BCPWA Society), a non-profit, consumer-driven organization is in its 20th year of operation, is dedicated to empowering persons living with HIV disease and AIDS through mutual support and collective action. As western Canada's largest AIDS organization, with a membership of more than 4,400 HIV+ individuals, the Society provides support and advocacy services, treatment information, and volunteer opportunities to its diverse membership.

ABOUT AIDS VANCOUVER

AIDS Vancouver was founded in 1983 as one of the first AIDS service organizations in Canada. For the past 20 years, AV has been at the forefront of community response to the epidemic here in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Their 28 paid staff and 300 volunteers strive to provide a comprehensive and integrated range of health promotion, education, and support services.

ABOUT INSTITM HIV-1 RAPID ANTIBODY TEST

The INSTITM HIV-1 Rapid Antibody Test is a rapid, in-vitro, qualitative test for the detection of antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in human whole blood, serum or plasma. The test is capable of providing results in 60-seconds and is intended for use as a screening assay by trained personnel in medical facilities, clinical laboratories, emergency care situations, and physicians' offices.

ABOUT BIOLYTICAL LABORATORIES

bioLytical Laboratories (Inc.) is a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic tests for global health care markets. bioLytical is a privately owned company with headquarters and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Richmond, British Columbia, with offices in United Kingdom and Uganda, Africa. For more information about bioLytical and INSTITM, please visit www.biolytical.com.

This news release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement, solicitation or offering of securities of bioLytical Laboratories. The statements made in this news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations.


For more information, please contact

Smith Biotech
Amanda Smith, BSc.
Media Contact for bioLytical Laboratories
(778) 846-4116
Email: amanda@smithbiotech.com

or

Media Contact for AIDS Vancouver
Arthur Yee
(604) 893-2241
(604) 893-2211 (FAX)
Email: arthury@aidsvancouver.org

Pfizer wins U.S. approval for new HIV drug

Source: Reuters

Pfizer Inc (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday that U.S. regulators approved its AIDS drug, Selzentry, the first in a new class of oral HIV medicines. Selzentry is the first drug designed to keep the HIV virus that causes AIDS from entering healthy immune cells. Older AIDS medicines attack the virus itself. The drug, also known as maraviroc, blocks the CCR5 co-receptor that serves as a main doorway for the HIV virus into immune cells.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Selzentry for use in patients who have tried other medicines and for those for whom a diagnostic test has confirmed their HIV strain is linked to the CCR5 receptor. About 50 percent to 60 percent of patients who have been treated with other AIDS drugs meet that definition, the FDA said.

Selzentry will come with a "black box" warning, the strongest for prescription drugs, about the risk of liver toxicity, the FDA said. The drug's label also will mention the possibility of heart attacks under a list of warnings and precautions, the agency said.

The most common problems reported in studies of patients who took Selzentry included cough, fever, upper respiratory tract infections, rash, abdominal pain and dizziness.
Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, expects Selzentry to be available next month.
In the company's studies, about 45 percent of patients who took maraviroc had their HIV virus suppressed to undetectable levels. The same was true for 23 percent who got a placebo. All patients also were treated with a cocktail of the best available drugs and had tried other regimens.

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Study helps explain how HIV becomes AIDS

Finding could help scientists seeking therapies to block virus progression

Source: University of California Irvine, Calif., July 31, 2007
A new UC Irvine study sheds light on how HIV develops into AIDS and suggests a possible way to block the deadly transformation.

UCI biologist Dominik Wodarz has shown for the first time that the development of AIDS might require HIV to evolve within a patient into a state where it spreads less efficiently from cell to cell. This counters the current belief that AIDS develops when the virus evolves over time to spread more efficiently within a patient, ultimately leading to the collapse of the immune system.

The study also finds that multiple HIV particles must team up to infect individual cells, called co-infection, in order for deadly strains to emerge and to turn the infection into AIDS. If just one virus particle infects a cell, the deadliest strains may not be able to evolve, stopping HIV from progressing to AIDS. By keeping more than one HIV particle from infecting a cell, scientists might be able to ward off AIDS, the study suggests. AIDS killed more than 17,000 people in the United States in 2005.

“If this is true, a new approach to therapy could be to block the process of co-infection in cells,” said Wodarz, who used a mathematical model to draw his conclusions. “This would prevent deadly HIV strains from emerging and the patient would remain healthy, despite carrying the virus.”

The study appears online July 31 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/l7237342p6683318/ (access to full-text restricted)

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