FDA Gives Approval to Use AIDS Drug to Treat Hepatitis B
Friday August 15, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given approval to the Gilead AIDS drug Viread, to help treat hepatitis B patients. The Gilead AIDS drug is known in its generic form as tenofovir, and has been on the market as an AIDS drug since 2001. Recent studies though have shown that it is very effective in treating people who are living with hepatitis B, helping by controlling the disease. Hepatitis B can be a fatal disease, attacking the liver.
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An Olympic Story - Greg Louganis and His HIV
Saturday August 9, 2008
The Beijing Olympics are finally here and with them the human interest stories of the Games and their athletes. One of those human interest stories has an HIV connection. Olympic Diving Champion Greg Louganis has a unique story of courage and overcoming adversity; both in and out of the pool. Here is the story of Greg Louganis.
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New Guidelines Say Early Treatment Beneficial
Tuesday August 5, 2008
New guidelines slated to be announced at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City suggest that early treatment with HIV medications is beneficial for the HIV positive patient. The new guidelines suggest that treatment is beneficial if started before CD4 counts fall below 350 cells per microliter. As newer therapies are developed that are easier to take and require fewer pills, the pendulum is swinging back to the belief that earlier treatment is better. Learn more about the new guidelines in this article from US News and World Report.
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12 Year Old with HIV Opens World AIDS Conference
Tuesday August 5, 2008
Keren Dunaway was 5 years old when her parents first explained to her that she and her parents had HIV. At 9 kids in her class refused to play with her because of her HIV. So she decided to speak out about the disease and that's when everything changed. She accompanied her parents at schools throughout Latin America and around the world to share their HIV story and to encourage others to do the same. In Latin America where she calls home about 55,000 of the 2 million HIV positive people are kids under the age of 15. Read more about her work with HIV positive youth in this article from Yahoo Health and the Associated Press
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CDC Changes Estimates - More HIV Cases than Previously Believed
Sunday August 3, 2008
In an unprecidented move, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recalculated their estimates of the number of new HIV infections. The new estimates show that there are 40 percent more new infections than once believed. The estimate of 40,000 new cases each year has been increased to 56,000 new cases. The CDC states that the change in estimates is due to new methods of surveillance and testing that can pinpoint the time of infection within a few months. Read more about these new estimates in this article from CNN Health.
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Understanding Your Health Screenings
Friday August 1, 2008
The key to staying healthy is to get regular check-ups with your HIV doctor. During these check-ups ask your doctor about those health screenings and vaccinations you need each year. But what are these screenings and what exactly should your doctor be checking out?
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HIV Infects Much Faster than Previously Believed
Friday July 25, 2008
Researchers at Duke University have found new evidence that suggests that HIV infects and attacks the body within days after transmission; much faster that first believed. What this means, according to the researchers is that testing is going to have to be done sooner and more often in order to identify infections before they can be passed on to others, accoridng to Dr. Peter Leone, North Carolina's HIV/AIDS Health Director and an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Schools of Medicine and Public Health. In addition, it is essential to know what goes on immediately after transmission if vaccine research is going to be successful in bringing us an effective vaccine. Read more in this article from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune.
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This Just Doesn't Make Sense - Renaming an HIV/AIDS Bill
Friday July 18, 2008
In an example of poor judgement to the highest degree, North Carolina's Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole has introduced an amendment that would rename the PEPFAR Bill currently heading to the House of Representatives after Dole's deceased predecessor Jesse Helms. Under normal circumstances, this would be a gesture of respect and gratitude for a life dedicated to servicing the people of the United States. But in the case of Jesse Helm's this amendment may be a bit misguided. After all, Mr. Helms did not have the most stellar record of fighting to help those living with HIV. In fact, the contrary is true. Here are some of Mr. Helm's more poignant quotes:- 1987 - Described AIDS prevention literature as "so obscene, so revolting, I may throw up."
1988 - Vigorously opposed the Kennedy-Hatch AIDS research bill, saying, "There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy."
1995 - In opposition of the Ryan White Act said that the government should spend less on people with AIDS because they got sick due to their "deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct."
2002 - Announced that he'd changed his mind about AIDS funding for Africa, but not for American gays, because homosexuality "is the primary cause of the doubling and redoubling of AIDS cases in the United States."
Luckily, more rational minds prevailed - the Bill passed without the name change. What was Ms. Dole thinking?
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Photograph courtesy of Brenda Smialowski / Getty Images
160 Organizations Join to Push for End of HIV Travel Ban
Tuesday July 15, 2008
Since 1987, the US has had in place, a law banning HIV positive people from imigrating to the US. In fact, HIV is the only medical condition is the only medical condition listed in the Immigration and Nationality Act as a basis for inadmissibility. HIV organizations around the world are pushing for the US to end ban. In a letter supporting the Tom Lantos & Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 these 160 HIV organizations urge politicians to block any attempt to remove legislation that would end the ban. Currently the US is one of only 12 countries to have such a travel ban in place. Read the entire letter.
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-Update-
The US Senate has passed the PEPFAR Bill providing $50 billion in funding to those countries hit hardest by HIV. In doing so, the Senate has also voted to lift the HIV travel ban. Now the Bill goes back to the House of Represetatives for approval. If all goes as expected, the House will clear the Bill by next week, sending it to the desk of President Bush for his signature.
Drug Company to Halt HIV Research
Saturday July 12, 2008
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding has announced that it will cease all HIV medication research and it's HIV researchers will be assigned to different areas. Roche made the announcement stating that their current HIV medications under development do not offer a significant advancement in the treatment of HIV when compared with existing medications on the market. Experts urge that this is not a sign that drug companies are pulling out of HIV research. In fact there are more companies now there there was ten years ago, all looking for a share of the $10 billion spent each year on HIV medications.
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