2006

Libyan leader rejects calls to free medics: United Press International - December 31, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has refused to pardon five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor on death row for infecting children with HIV. Gadhafi said the medics, who were sentenced to death for infecting 426 children with the AIDS-causing virus, must accept the consequences for their crimes, th
EU urges Libya to recall death sentences: United Press International - December 29, 2006; SOFIA, Bulgaria , Dec. 29 (UPI) -- An EU commissioner has asked Tripoli to recall death sentences handed down by a Libyan court against five Bulgarian nurses. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for Foreign Relations and Neighborhood Policy, sent a letter to Libya s European Affairs secretary asking him to review
Outside View: HIV and Katrina: United Press International - December 28, 2006; NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- One of the lessons that every New Orleanian learned from Hurricane Katrina is that life cannot be taken for granted. Life s fragility is something that people with HIV/AIDS, as well as their family and friends, have been intimately acquainted with for the past 25 years -- long before Katri
Bioform Med. OK'd on anti-wrinkle filler: United Press International - December 27, 2006; SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Privately held firm BioForm Medical said Wednesday it has been approved for U.S. sales of anti-wrinkle filler Radiesse. The company said the new product is a next-generation cosmetic dermal filler intended for long-lasting correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, s
Metabolic syndrome may be an HIV risk: United Press International - December 26, 2006; BOSTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers find many people with HIV have the same two characteristics of metabolic syndrome and may also be at risk for zinc deficiency. We determined that almost one-fourth of the study participants had metabolic syndrome, although this is lower than the incidence of metabolic syndrome
Male circumcision could reduce HIV risk: United Press International - December 26, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa , Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A South African study had concluded that male circumcision can substantially reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV. The research, published in PLoS Medicine, suggests that circumcision could reduce the cost of healthcare in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countri
Analysis: Panacos dives on bevirimat woes: United Press International - December 21, 2006; Steve Mitchell, UPI Senior Medical Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Analysts downgraded Panacos Thursday due to disappointing phase 2b study results for its anti-HIV drug bevirimat that could add as much as a year to the development timeline. Panacos shares plunged nearly 31 percent Wednesday due to preliminary results from the trial indicating the plasma c
Amnesty condemns Libya's death sentences: United Press International - December 19, 2006; LONDON - Amnesty International called on Libya Tuesday to withdraw death sentences a Tripoli court imposed on six foreign medical personnel. Reacting to the Libyan court s ruling that five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were guilty of deliberately infecting 426 children with HIV, Amnesty International in Lon
Surgery deemed safe for HIV patients: United Press International - December 18, 2006; Christine Dell'Amore, UPI Consumer Health Correspondent; WASHINGTON - HIV-positive patients can expect to recover from surgery as well as uninfected patients, another example of how Americans living with HIV are approaching normalcy in most aspects of their lives, researchers said Monday. After comparing surgery data for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients, researche
AIDS, malaria may be linked: United Press International - December 8, 2006; KISUMU, Kenya - Malaria and AIDS, two of the biggest killers in Africa, may be linked, scientists in Kenya said. The diseases may interact in such as way that they spread faster, researchers said in their published in Science. The findings demonstrated how other factors could influence the spread of HIV, researchers sa
It's now 'Chief' Bill Clinton: United Press International - December 3, 2006; PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Former President Bill Clinton has been made an honorary chief of Papua New Guinea during a visit to promote the fight against HIV/AIDS. Clinton was made a Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu after a meeting with PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare after signing a memoran
Canada announces pledge to fight AIDS: United Press International - December 2, 2006; MONTREAL - The Canadian government marked World AIDS Day by announcing plans to increase its contribution to international efforts to fight the disease. Josee Verner, the international cooperation minister, told reporters at a news conference in Montreal Friday that the government is determined to help stop AIDS, the C
Annan: More needs to be done against AIDS: United Press International - December 2, 2006; NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his World AIDS Day message, said the progress that has been made against AIDS requires even greater mobilization. Financial resources are being committed like never before, people have access to antiretroviral treatment like never before, and several countries are managi
Obama touts condoms to evangelicals: United Press International - December 1, 2006; ANAHEIM, Calif., - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told California evangelicals Friday he strongly disagrees with anyone who opposes the use of condoms to fight AIDS. But he also told the 2,000 evangelicals gathered in Orange County that the solution to the AIDS epidemic must come in part from churches guiding people t
International team to study protein, AIDS: United Press International - December 1, 2006; STELLENBOSCH, South Africa - Investigators from the United States and South Africa will study the value of protein supplements for people affected with HIV and AIDS. Researchers hope to determine the effects of high-quality protein supplementation on the health and nutrition of people living with the Human Immunodefici
World AIDS Day highlights need for vaccine: United Press International -- December 1, 2006; Jacob Russell - UPI Correspondent; WASHINGTON (UPI) -- World AIDS Day, recognized every Dec. 1, has been running strong for 19 years now, and this year s theme is accountability. The day strives to raise awareness of the global AIDS pandemic, sparked by the spread of HIV infection. It has been 25 years since the first cases of HIV infection were detecte
International team to study protein, AIDS: United Press International -- December 1, 2006; STELLENBOSCH, South Africa (UPI) -- Investigators from the United States and South Africa will study the value of protein supplements for people affected with HIV and AIDS. Researchers hope to determine the effects of high-quality protein supplementation on the health and nutrition of people living with the Human Immun
Bush proclaims December 1 World AIDS Day: United Press International - December 1, 2006; WASHINGTON - U.S. President George Bush Friday proclaimed Dec. 1 World AIDS Day and urged all Americans to join in the fight against the disease. HIV/AIDS is a global health crisis and a constant struggle for many of our families, friends, and neighbors, the president said. On World AIDS Day, we underscore our commitme
U.N. urges world to meet HIV obligations: United Press International - December 1, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the world has finally begun to take the fight against HIV/AIDS seriously. The United Nations marked World Aids Day Friday by urging governments to make good on their commitments to fight the pandemic. Because the response has started to gain real momentum, the sta
U.N.: AIDS hits hard at world labor force: United Press International - December 1, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland - More than 3 million people around the world are unable to work because of AIDS-related illness, the United Nations said Friday. The U.N. International Labor Organization report, released to coincide with World AIDS Day, found that almost 25 million paid workers live with HIV and AIDS, and another
Ludacris endorses AIDS awareness campaign: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; CHICAGO - The controversial rapper Ludacris recently took a break from his musical efforts to lend his name to an AIDS awareness event taking place in Chicago. The Release Therapy rapper has a reputation for promoting drugs and violence, but Wednesday broke that mold by joining Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and college st
Report: AIDS destroys millions of jobs: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland - A study by the International Labor Organization finds that AIDS is wreaking havoc with work forces in many African countries. The study was released for World AIDS Day. Researchers looked at the effect of AIDS in the 43 countries with the highest rates of infection, the BBC reported. Seventy perce
Group: G8 leaders should keep AIDS promise: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Urgent action is needed if universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment and care is to be achieved by 2010, advocates said Thursday. Every day 8,000 people die of AIDS, yet with a funding gap of $10 billion a year only 20 percent of people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are receiving
Vaginal microbicide undergoes safety trial: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; DAVIS, Calif. (UPI) -- Researchers are seeking participants for the first U.S. study of the safety of a new vaginal gel designed to prevent herpes and HIV infection. The University of California-Davis scientists say if the gel is found effective and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it would become an
HIV deaths akin to a tsunami every month: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; BALTIMORE (UPI) -- HIV/AIDS is killing more than 250,000 people each month worldwide, akin to a tsunami every month, says a U.S. researcher. Dr. Robert Gallo of the University of Maryland, who is the co-discoverer of the HIV virus and developer of the HIV blood test, is calling for sustained research to ensure new ways
Clinton unveils $60 child AIDS treatment: United Press International -- November 30, 2006; NEW DELHI (UPI) -- A 3-in-1 AIDS pill for kids will soon be available for under $60 per year, former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Thursday. The treatment, which drug manufacturers Cipla and Ranbaxy have committed to produce for the low price, is in child-friendly tablet form and does not require refrigeration, Clin
HIV tests key as prevention efforts falter: United Press International -- November 29, 2006; Christine Dell'amore, UPI Consumer Health Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- HIV prevention in the United States has lagged behind major advances in treating patients, a gap that can be addressed by widespread, routine testing for the virus, experts said at an HIV summit Wednesday. We ve reached a stone wall, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of
Analysis: Wealth brings new health threats: United Press International - November 27, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - As the level of development worldwide increases, the greatest threats to health will shift from infectious diseases to non-communicable health problems like smoking-related illness, obesity and depression, according to updated data from the World Health Organization . However, even given optimistic develop
Study: AIDS impedes development efforts: United Press International - November 27, 2006; WASHINGTON - If AIDS is not tackled, it will be virtually impossible for many low-income countries to develop, a new study says. In September 2000, 189 governments committed to achieving eight Millennium Development Goals to improve living standards worldwide. But the AIDS epidemic will stall progress toward reaching a
Study: HIV replicates in testis cells: United Press International - November 27, 2006; RENNES - French scientists have verified HIV replication in resident immune testis cells, explaining viral persistence in semen even after antiretroviral therapy. Researchers led by Dr. Nathalie Dejucq-Rainsford of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Rennes, France , examined testis tissue for t
Chinese AIDS activist disappears: United Press International - November 26, 2006; BEIJING - A Chinese AIDS activist has disappeared after police questioning. Wan Yanhai s organization, Aizhi, issued a brief statement saying he called a colleague Friday night to say he was being interrogated, the BBC reported. He told the group to cancel a meeting on AIDS scheduled for Sunday. Wan, a former health mi
Man gets prison sentence for spreading HIV: United Press International - November 24, 2006; LAWRENCE, Kan. - A Kansas judge has sentenced a man who knowingly exposed three women to the HIV virus to 32 months in prison and 56 months probation. Judge Stephen Six imposed the sentence after a jury found 30-year-old Robert W. Richardson II guilty on four counts of exposing the women to the virus, the Lawrence (Kan
HIV rates rise among Thai youth: United Press International - November 24, 2006; BANGKOK - HIV infection rates among Thailand s teens and young adults increased this year over last, public health officials say. The estimated 15,000 newly reported HIV infections for people between the ages of 15 and 24 accounts for 40 percent of the total number of new infections, said Somyos Charoensak, a Public He
Analysis: UN urges AIDS prevention: United Press International - November 24, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Huge gains have been made in making sure that HIV treatment is getting to those who need it -- but prevention efforts lack the resources they need to slow the disease s spread. Nearly 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV or AIDS, according to United Nations data released Tuesday, and that number
Reported AIDS cases grow in China: United Press International - November 22, 2006; BEIJING - China s Ministry of Health revealed that reported cases of the virus that causes AIDS in the country rose by 30 percent in 2006 over the total in 2005. Health officials said the number of cases of human immunodeficiency virus grew from 144,089 at the end of last year to 183,733 this year, China Daily reported
AIDS vaccine program starts in Africa: United Press International - November 22, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has launched a program in southern Africa to support AIDS vaccine research in the region. The organization already has offices in Nairobi, New Delhi, Amsterdam and New York. The new office will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, to help IAVI w
U.N: Global AIDS epidemic still growing: United Press International - November 21, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland - The World Health Organization says new data show the global AIDS epidemic is growing and some nations report resurgence in recent HIV infection rates. The UNAIDS program, part of the WHO, reports approximately 39.5 million people are living with HIV, with 4.
FDA grants Immtech's drug orphan status: United Press International - November 21, 2006; NEW YORK - Immtech said Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan drug status for pafuramidine, a potential pneumonia treatment. The orphan designation covers use of the drug for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, or PCP, a life-threatening opportunistic infection that strikes HIV/AIDS and immunosuppre
UN: Africa can overcome health problems: United Press International - November 20, 2006; NEW YORK - Africa can meet its healthcare challenges with sufficient international support, the United Nations said in a report released Monday. The first-ever report by the agency on the 738 million people living in the United Nations health agency s African region examined HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and pregnanc
U.N.: Africa improving on disease control: United Press International - November 20, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland - The United Nations says Africa could resolve its many health challenges if it continues developing local methods to combating diseases. In a statement issued Monday to accompany the African Regional Health Report, the World Health Organization in Geneva said most African nations from
Group: Black AIDS action plan needed: United Press International - November 16, 2006; NEW YORK - A bold new strategy is needed to address the growing AIDS crisis in the African-American community, advocates said Thursday. African-Americans comprise 13 percent of the U.S. population but account for more than half of all new HIV and AIDS diagnoses and are 10 times more likely than whites to have the disea
HIV/AIDS linked to drug resistant TB: United Press International - November 16, 2006; NEW HAVEN, Conn. - U.S. scientists say a highly drug-resistant form of tuberculosis has been linked to HIV/AIDS in a study conducted in rural South Africa . Yale School of Medicine researchers aiming to integrate HIV and TB care and treatment note TB is the most common cause of death and illness in those with HIV infec
Progress made in HIV vaccine development: United Press International - November 16, 2006; WASHINGTON - U.S. researchers report successfully testing two candidate vaccines that may eventually be used together to protect against HIV infection. Dr. Barney Graham and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and GenVec Inc.
Teens with arrest record, higher HIV risk: United Press International - November 15, 2006; PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Adolescents with a history of arrest are at greater risk for HIV infection than adolescents with no arrest history, finds a U.S. study. Study participants ages 15 to 21 were categorized into two groups -- arrestees and non-arrestees. Researchers in Rhode Island, Georgia and Florida assessed both
New nanotechnology rapidly detects viruses: United Press International - November 15, 2006; ATHENS, Ga. - U.S. scientists are using nanotechnology to detect viruses as diverse as influenza and HIV in 60 seconds or less. University of Georgia researchers have developed a diagnostic test that, in addition to simply saving time, can save lives by rapidly detecting a naturally occurring disease outbreak or bioter
HIV infection linked with lung disease: United Press International - November 14, 2006; NEW HAVEN, Conn., - U.S. medical scientists suggest patients who are HIV positive may be at an increased risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The researchers from Yale University School of Medicine investigated the prevalence of COPD among 1,014 HIV-positive and 713 HIV-negative men enrolled in th
Philadelphia settles AIDS suit: United Press International - November 14, 2006; PHILADELPHIA - The city of Philadelphia has agreed to train its paramedics in the appropriate treatment of people with infectious diseases, especially those with AIDS. Under an agreement with the U.S. Justice Dept. announced Monday, the city will also pay $50,000 to John Gill Smith. Smith filed suit against the city un
AIDS groups push firm on Viraday price cut: United Press International - November 14, 2006; MUMBAI, India - Officials from a global chain of AIDS clinics Tuesday pressured Indian generic firm Cipla to lower the price of AIDS drug Viraday. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which operates free AIDS clinics in the United States , Africa, Latin America and Asia, told Ci
Research: Teens do think rationally: United Press International - November 14, 2006; Leah Carliner, UPI Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Just because an adolescent decides to drive drunk -- a bad choice, to be sure -- doesn t mean he or she hasn t thought about the risk. In fact, adolescents are more likely to consider risk-taking activities based on a cost-benefit analysis than adults are, according to research reported in the latest issue
French research isolates HIV strain: United Press International - November 10, 2006; MONTPELIER, France - Scientists in France said they discovered what they believe is the source for one of three HIV strains known to infect humans: gorillas. Researchers at the University of Montpelier in France discovered the source strain for human immunodeficiency virus in the droppings of gorillas living in remote
Drug-resistant TB on rise in Africa: United Press International - November 10, 2006; NAIROBI, Kenya - Drug-resistant tuberculosis strains in Africa could kill millions of people and render useless expensive drugs protecting HIV-infected patients from TB. Health officials in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda report increasing numbers of cases of untreatable versions of the deadly disease, the
Study: SIV may be endemic in wild gorillas: United Press International - November 9, 2006; MONTPELLIER, France - French scientists say simian immunodeficiency virus, the ape-like form of HIV, may be endemic in wild gorilla populations. And since the animals are still hunted for food and medicinal uses, the researchers say it s possible those practices might pose a risk to humans. Martine Peeters and coll
Gap sells out of London designer's dresses: United Press International - November 8, 2006; LONDON - Roland Mouret-styled dresses were sold out at the Gap stores in London less than a day after their debut. Officials for the clothing store chain said they weren t expecting a rush for the London fashion designer s creations because more dresses were available at more stores, the London Daily Mail said. Shoppe
Global Fund cuts HIV funds for Uganda: United Press International - November 7, 2006; KAMPALA, Uganda - The east African nation of Uganda will not get HIV and malaria funding in the sixth round of Global Fund disbursement. The cuts were likely due to a lack of action on past mismanagement of health funds, the Kampala New Vision newspaper reported, and the country s health minister is flying to Geneva to
Study: Unleash Web to fight HIV in Africa: United Press International - November 6, 2006; IRVINE, Calif. - The Internet is already a source of information about AIDS for children in Africa but could be more powerful if it were free, a U.S. study says. About one-third of adolescents in the east-African nation of Uganda reported using the Internet as a source of health information in a study published in the
China frosty on wife-swapping advice: United Press International - November 6, 2006; GUANGZHOU, China - Chinese government officials gave a frosty response to a sociologist who told a Guangzhou Sex Culture Exposition wife-swapping is normal entertainment. China s foremost female sociologist on sex issues, Li Yinhe told attendees partner-sharing is fine, and couples should have the right to try it, Chin
Music teacher allegedly gave student AIDS: United Press International - November 3, 2006; NEWARK, N.J. - A former music teacher at a New Jersey high school has been charged with sexually assaulting a student and giving him AIDS. Prosecutors in Essex County say they want Hassan Vann to be tested for HIV, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. His alleged victim, Raymond Little, is HIV positive and said he believes
Analysis says why condom programs fail: United Press International - November 3, 2006; LONDON - An analysis of 268 studies of the sexual behavior of under 25-year-olds from South Africa to Sweden shows sexual stereotypes interfere with safe sex. For example, the review found young women often feel their reputation will be sullied if they carry condoms, and young men often feel pressured into having sex w
Rudetsky fighting AIDS with 'Chatterbox': United Press International - November 2, 2006; NEW YORK - Broadway conductor Seth Rudetsky is waging his fight against AIDS with donations from his weekly talkfest, Seth s Broadway Chatterbox. Rudetsky, who has lent his musical talents to 42nd Street and The Producers, organized the weekly event not only to entertain but also to donate its proceeds to the Broadway
Study projects lifetime HIV medical cost: United Press International - November 1, 2006; NEW YORK - U.S. researchers estimate the monthly medical cost for people with HIV, from beginning appropriate care until death, is about $2,100. The study by Dr. Bruce Schackman of the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and colleagues projects the cost of treatment for HIV-infected adults using current standards
U.N. health agency: Raise sex awareness: United Press International - November 1, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - Funding from U.N. member states to promote sexual and reproductive health is declining as global needs increase, a new report says. Using survey data from 59 countries in the first global report on sexual and reproductive health, the U.N. World Health Organization Wednesday said 500,000 women every yea
Monthly HIV treatment cost now over $2,000: United Press International - November 1, 2006; NEW YORK - The average monthly cost of care for an American with HIV from diagnosis until death is $2,100, a new study says. The projected life expectancy for these individuals, if they remain in optimal HIV care, has now increased to 24.2 years, and the lifetime per person HIV care cost is now $618,900 per person, acc
Libya adjourns Bulgaria nurses retrial: United Press International - October 31, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A Libyan court Tuesday adjourned the retrial of five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting 400 children with HIV, the Bulgarian news agency Focus said. The retrial of the Bulgarian medics and a Palestinian doctor, sentenced in 2004 to death by a firing squad, was adjourned until Saturday, Focus said.
Russian blood bank ordered to pay damages: United Press International - October 31, 2006; VORONEZH, Russia - A Russian court ordered a regional blood bank Monday to pay thousands of dollars to a young woman who contracted AIDS through a transfusion. The woman, who received a transfusion at a maternity hospital, could get 10 million rubles ($373,000), the Novosti news agency reports. The blood bank serve
Vaccines, microbicides and HIV prevention: United Press International - October 30, 2006; Kristyn Ecochard, UPI Correspondent; WASHINGTON - How close are the scientific and medical communities to marketing a vaccine for HIV and AIDS? Over the past 25 years a number of vaccines have been researched, but only one candidate has gone through full testing, only to be ineffective, said Seth Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccin
Overseas condom production impacts U.S.: United Press International - October 29, 2006; EUFAULA, Ala. - Condom production in the United States is facing competition from overseas, putting many jobs at stake, The New York Times reported. Most of the competition is coming from Asia, where condoms can be produced for a fraction of the cost. Through AIDS prevention and other programs overseas, Alabama compani
Resistant TB strains, HIV linked: United Press International - October 27, 2006; NEW YORK - Drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis could threaten both successful TB therapies and HIV treatment programs, U.S. and South African scientists said. Researchers at Yeshiva University in New York and their South African partners said the resistant strains of TB were more common than thought in a rural area
Change in South African AIDS battle: United Press International - October 27, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - South Africa reportedly is changing course when it comes to battling the AIDS epidemic, accepting that HIV is real and turning to antivirals. Attempting to shake off years of international denunciation for its handling of the problem, the country s deputy president announced the government
HIV to go on trial in Aussie court: United Press International - October 26, 2006; ADELAIDE, Australia - An HIV-positive Australian, convicted of endangering the lives of three women, is challenging the existence of the virus in court. Andre Chad Parenzee was convicted in February of endangering three former girlfriends through unprotected sex and faces up to 15 years in prison.
Journal defends accused medical workers: United Press International - October 26, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - The scientific journal Nature says it has concluded six medical workers who face the death penalty in Libya are probably innocent of charges. The defendants -- five Bulgarian women and a Palestinian man -- are accused of deliberately injecting 426 children with HIV in 1998. International medical expert
AIDS drugs reveal leprosy infections: United Press International - October 24, 2006; NEW YORK - Experts in New York and around the world have said antiretroviral treatments have revealed hidden cases of leprosy in some AIDS patients. Doctors have said AIDS patients in Brazil , India , Africa, the Caribbean and other locations have developed symptoms of leprosy after being treated with anti
Starpharma tests herpes preventive gel: United Press International - October 24, 2006; MELBOURNE - Australian firm Starpharma said Tuesday it has been cleared to start a U.S. trial of microbicide VivaGel to prevent genital herpes . The company said it would begin recruiting female volunteers into the University of California, San Francisco-based study, which is funded by the U.S. National Institute of Al
New type of lab mouse is developed: United Press International - October 23, 2006; DALLAS - U.S. scientists have developed a new type of laboratory mice that can fight certain infections the same way humans do. The researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said normal mice are not susceptible to human-specific viruses, making it difficult to study and craft drugs to target such v
First hospital makes HIV test routine: United Press International - October 23, 2006; Christine Dell'Amore; WASHINGTON - Howard University Hospital Monday became the first in the nation to offer routine HIV testing for all patients, employees and students. The Washington hospital will begin posting HIV screening liaisons in each department to administer free, voluntary HIV tests. The staff will use Food and Drug Administrati
Interview: Wider HIV testing cuts cost: United Press International - October 19, 2006; STANFORD, Calif., - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued new guidelines advising that all people in the United States ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Previously, the agency had recommended testing only for people in high-risk groups, such as intravenous drug u
FDA OKs MedMira's rapid HIV test: United Press International - October 19, 2006; HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - MedMira said Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared its Reveal G3 rapid HIV test, which delivers results in less than three minutes. MedMira said the Reveal G3 test is the fastest rapid test approved in the United States . Previous versions of the Reveal test were approved by the
Study: Europe drug trials need more women: United Press International - October 18, 2006; LONDON -- European drug trials are not enrolling enough women, and that s exposing them to higher drug risks, a British study said Wednesday. Gender balance in clinical trials is critical due to the proven differences in the effectiveness of various medical treatments, said public health researchers in the Journal of E
AIDS activist Jeff Getty dead at age 49: United Press International - October 15, 2006; JOSHUA TREE, Calif., - AIDS activist Jeff Getty, who volunteered for a myriad of treatments including a bone marrow transplant from a baboon, has died in California at age 49. Getty died of heart failure brought on by cancer treatment Monday in Joshua Tree, Calif., the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Getty made inter
Analysis:Malaria drug helps at-risk group: United Press International - October 14, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Amodiaquine, an important treatment for malaria, is safe and effective for treating pregnant women -- one of the groups most threatened by the disease, a new study has found. Malaria in pregnancy poses a threat to both the mother and the fetus, said study author Brian Greenwood, an epidemiologist at the Lo
Woman stuck by needle on plane: United Press International - October 12, 2006; DALLAS - A woman on an American Airlines flight to Dallas said she sat on a hypodermic needle filled with fluid. Sueanne Lineberger said she spent a night in the emergency room but doctors were unable to tell her what was in the needle and referred her to an outside lab, WGAA-TV, Dallas, reported Thursday. You need to
Bono to take Project Red to U.S.: United Press International - October 12, 2006; CHICAGO -- U2 s Bono is expected to announce in Chicago plans to take Product Red, his partnership developed to assist AIDS victims in Africa, to the United States . Motorola and American Express were Bono s initial partners in the project but their efforts were limited to the United Kingdom ,
HIV scientists refocus research efforts: United Press International - October 12, 2006; DALLAS - U.S. medical scientists say they are refocusing research efforts as HIV patients live longer and develop associated maladies such as hepatitis. The longer lifespan of HIV patients is due to the development of better therapies, said the scientists, but now the research must look at the accompanying diseases tha
Report: STDs on the rise in Australia: United Press International - October 11, 2006; MELBOURNE - A new report on Australia s sexual health shows a 41 percent increase in the number of new HIV diagnoses in the last five years. The paper released by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research also revealed a dramatic rise in chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia w
Study could revolutionize AIDS research: United Press International - October 11, 2006; NEW YORK - U.S. scientists have created a version of HIV that replicates in human and monkey cells -- an advance that might revolutionize AIDS research. Rockefeller University and Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center scientists say they used a combination of genetic engineering and forced adaptation in the study. Since
Study: Virus infection cured molecularly: United Press International - October 9, 2006; LA JOLLA, Calif. - U.S. medical scientists Monday announced a finding that might lead to a new approach for treating hepatitis C and other chronic virus infections. Researchers at the La Jolla, Calif., Institute for Allergy & Immunology say they eliminated a chronic virus infection in lab mice by blocking a key mes
Pediatric HIV is studied: United Press International - October 9, 2006; HOUSTON - U.S. researchers say the effects of HIV on children differ greatly from those experienced by adults. Scientists say the type, severity and progression of HIV are all factors that differ, depending on the age at which one contracts the disease. Children do not demonstrate HIV-specific symptoms as adults do, s
New test finds HIV at earliest stage: United Press International - October 5, 2006; ROCKVILLE, Md., (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has OK d the first HIV test that detects the presence of the HIV-1 virus s RNA. The new diagnostic -- which experts say might ultimately replace the standard Western blot test used to confirm an HIV-positive test result -- is sold by San Diego-based Gen-Pro
Madonna in Africa to help orphans: United Press International - October 4, 2006; BLANTYRE, Malawi - Pop singer Madonna is in the African nation of Malawi to help orphans with HIV and AIDS and an official there says she may be adopting a child as well. The Michigan native who now calls England home plans to launch six projects, all aimed at helping impoverished African children, the BBC reported Wed
Survey: Europeans ignorant about AIDS: United Press International - October 3, 2006; LONDON - A survey of European sexual practices finds widespread ignorance of AIDS prevention, including misinformation among the British public. The Eurobarometer poll of 25,000 Europeans showed the British are among the most likely to be promiscuous, second only to the Dutch, The Daily Mail reported. In Britain, more
Scientists study men who pay for sex: United Press International - October 2, 2006; LONDON - British researchers say nearly half of the men who pay for sex already have a partner. The scientists used survey data from a standard health screening questionnaire completed by more than 2,500 men at one British sexual health clinic from October 2002-February 2004. One-in-10 of the men with an average age of
L.A. billboards say AIDS a 'gay' disease: United Press International - September 30, 2006; LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Stunning passersby, billboards have sprung up around Southern California declaring, HIV is a gay disease, adding the tag line Own It; End It. The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, which paid for the billboards, has declared war on the fact that populations of
China plans needle centers for addicts: United Press International - September 29, 2006; WUHAN, China (UPI) -- In an effort to curb the spread of human immunodeficiency virus, China plans to open 300 new drug needle exchange centers by year s end. The Ministry of Health says about 44.3 percent of the estimated 650,000 Chinese living with HIV/AIDS, or 288,000 people, were drug addicts sharing needles, the o
Integrase inhibitor does affect blood fats: United Press International - September 29, 2006; SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) -- Cholesterol and triglycerides are unaffected by the experimental human immunodeficiency virus inhibitor MK-0518 by U.S. firm Merck. Researchers said that while levels of the blood fats rose somewhat with the standard treatment based on efavirenz -- sold as Bristol Myers Squibb s
HealthWrap: U.K. hit by stolen-tissue fear: United Press International - September 21, 2006; Kate Walker, UPI Correspondent; LONDON - U.K. hospitals have been rocked by the news that bone tissue imported from the United States and used in grafts may have been illegally stripped from corpses and sold to the hospitals for patient use without being tested for HIV, hepatitis and a range of other conditions. In 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis
Libyan trial of Bulgarian nurses recesses: United Press International - September 21, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya , Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A Libyan court Thursday recessed the retrial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting 400 children with HIV. The Tripoli court adjourned until Oct. 31 after a Bulgarian defense lawyer failed to appear in the courtroom as he was hospitalized earlier Thursd
Scientists track HIV within cells: United Press International - September 21, 2006; PARIS, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- French scientists say they ve developed a new technique to visualize HIV particles inside infected cells as they make their way to the cell s nucleus. The study by Pierre Charneau and colleagues at the Pasteur Institute in Paris is said to show HIV s internal voyage with unprecedented detail.
Analysis: CDC urges expanded HIV testing: United Press International - September 21, 2006; Ed Susman; WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- New U.S. government guidelines suggest that the next time a person goes for medical treatment, a doctor should offer routine testing for infection with human immunodeficiency virus, the microbe that causes AIDS. We believe these new testing guidelines are the next step to reduci
Smokers may be at greater risk of HIV: United Press International - September 21, 2006; SHEFFIELD, England, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Tobacco smoke may make people at greater risk of HIV infection than non-smokers, according to a British study. An analysis published in the British Medical Journal ahead of print in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections says that six studies assessed the association between c
Airfare tax to raise cash for AIDS drugs: United Press International - September 19, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - Five countries announced a plan Tuesday to raise $300 million from airline ticket taxes to provide impoverished children worldwide with AIDS drugs. The initiative was unveiled at the United Nations in New York by Brazil , Great Britain, Chile , France and
NYC survey: Straight men have gay sex: United Press International - September 19, 2006; NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A survey of 4,193 New York City men found nearly 10 percent identified themselves as straight but said they had sex with at least one man in the past year. The survey, conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, compared men who identified themselves as gay to men
WHO applauds global Rx-buying plan: United Press International - September 19, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland , Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization applauded Tuesday the launch of UNITAID, a new international drug purchasing facility. The facility, established by Brazil , France , Chile ,
More AIDS patients die of other causes: United Press International - September 19, 2006; NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- New York s Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control report has said it is becoming less common for AIDS patients to die of causes related to the disease. The report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, credited drugs treating human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AID
Prisons not prepared for pandemic: United Press International - September 15, 2006; ST. LOUIS - One of the most potentially dangerous breeding grounds for a potential pandemic are prisons and jails, says a U.S. study. Researchers at Saint Louis University say the more than 2 million U.S. prisoners are a highly vulnerable population because 80 percent come to prison with some sort of illness including
Changes urged in Hispanic healthcare: United Press International - September 15, 2006; Michael Stothard, UPI Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Hispanic communities have been left behind by the current healthcare system, asserts a new report. The report was put together by 18 of the greatest minds in healthcare, the chairman of The Latin Coalition, Roberto de Posada, boasted at a news conference Thursday. It offers commonsense solutions and stress
New drugs needed for multi-resistant TB: United Press International - September 14, 2006; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - An urgent call for new tools to diagnose and treat extremely drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis has been issued by a South African doctor. In an editorial in this week s British Medical Journal, Stephen Lawn, a specialist in infectious and tropical diseases at the University of Cape Town, said
Extremely drug-resistant TB hits South Africa: United Press International - September 13, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Health authorities in South Africa were on high alert Wednesday after a woman with a deadly strain of tuberculosis left a hospital against doctor s orders. Doctors later located and quarantined the HIV-positive woman -- who had refused treatment and walked out of a Johannesburg hospital --
Evidence challenged in Libya nurse trial: United Press International - September 12, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A Libyan court Tuesday heard four prosecution witnesses at the Tripoli retrial of five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting 400 children with HIV. The witnesses gave testimony relating to the legality of a February 1999 search of the house of one nurse and her husband in the Libyan town of Benghazi in
Stem-cell research top 10 for world's poor: United Press International - September 11, 2006; TORONTO - Stem-cell research could have an enormous impact on the burden of disease in the developing world, according to a new study. Eliminating the need for costly insulin injections for diabetics, regenerating heart muscle after it fails, and improving resistance to disease by engineering immune cells topped a list
Clinton birthday party raises $2.5 million: United Press International - September 10, 2006; TORONTO - A 60th birthday party for former U.S. President Bill Clinton in Toronto has helped raise $2.5 million for his HIV/AIDS initiative in Africa. With numerous celebrities paying between $25,000 and $200,000 per table at the Royal York hotel event, Clinton asked those in attendance to aid his Clinton Foundation in
Washington donates $1 million to charity: United Press International - September 10, 2006; LOS ANGELES - Actor Denzel Washington has donated $1 million to Save Africa s Children, a charity based in Los Angeles that cares for orphans in Africa. The Academy Award-winning actor made the donation to help find homes for the 17 million children made orphans by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, the organization said
Anglicans get first HIV-positive priest: United Press International - September 10, 2006; LONDON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The Church of England has named a gay man with HIV as the priest of a parish in the London area. Although as many as 30 Anglican priests in Britain have died of AIDS-related ailments in the last 15 years, none have been knowingly appointed to a pastoral position while HIV-positive, the Times o
Virulent new strain of TB in South Africa: United Press International - September 9, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A new drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis that appears to be almost untreatable has been found in South Africa. The World Health Organization reports that the extremely drug resistant (XDR) form of the TB bacteria has been found in 53 people in KwaZulu-Natal. Fifty-two died within 16 days
Most interns still exploited,study: United Press International - September 8, 2006; WASHINGTON - Nearly 84 percent of medical interns in the United States continue to work more hours than national standards allow. After research revealed that interns who worked 24-hour shifts made many more serious medical errors and were involved in more automotive accidents han those whose work was limited to 16 con
Analysis: Academia's role in global aid: United Press International - September 8, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Universities -- both in the United States and in developing countries -- can have an important role to play in improving the return on development dollars spent, advocates said this week. An upswing in donor largesse has meant an avalanche of new aid funds being sent to the world s poorest countries -- esp
Study IDs protein that helps HIV: United Press International - September 7, 2006; ROCHESTER, Minn. - The HIV virus uses a protein to attach itself to chromosomes, and this protein might be a new target for HIV drugs, U.S. scientists say. Eric Poeschla, who led a Mayo Clinic research team, said the full name of the protein is LEDGF/p75. He explained that HIV enters a chromosome using a protein called
Black teens reveal risky sex behaviors: United Press International - September 7, 2006; PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A U.S. study suggests African-American teenagers with symptoms of depression are more than four times likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. The study by the Bradley Hasbro Children s Research Center and Brown University School of Medicine is one of the first to look at black teens of both gender
Iran claims AIDS research breakthrough: United Press International - September 6, 2006; TEHRAN - Iran s Ministry of Health claimed to have made a medical breakthrough with a formula to control symptoms of AIDS. The state-controlled IRNA news agency quoted an unidentified ministry employee as saying, The research studies to find out a formula to cure AIDS was initiated during the tenure of two former healt
Resignation of SA health minister sought: United Press International - September 6, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Pressure is mounting on South Africa s Health Minister to resign for suggesting garlic, lemons and African potatoes as alternative HIV treatment. The BBC reports more than 60 international experts on HIV/Aids have written to South African President Thabo Mbeki, calling his government s heal
U.N.: New TB strains resists drugs: United Press International - September 6, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - The World Health Organization says tuberculosis prevention has to be strengthened because of new strains resistant to existing drugs. A recent survey by the U.N. health agency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control showed the new strains have been identified in all regions of the world, but are most
Libya delays 5 Bulgarian nurses' trial: United Press International - September 5, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A Libyan court Tuesday postponed the retrial of five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting 400 children with HIV due to a lawyer s absence. The Tripoli Court adjourned the retrial of the five women, once-sentenced to death by a firing squad, to next Tuesday, Bulgaria s SNA Sofia news agency reported.
Mercury's birthday riles Zanzibar Muslims: United Press International - September 2, 2006; ZANZIBAR, Tanzania - A Muslim group is up in arms over plans for the 60th birthday of the late rock legend Freddie Mercury on the African island of Zanzibar. Conservative Muslims on the Tanzanian archipelago say that Mercury s openly gay lifestyle and HIV-positive status violated Islam, and they re demanding that a bea
Interview: Clearant's CEO on tissue safety: United Press International - September 1, 2006; WASHINGTON - United Press International this week interviewed Clearant s CEO Alain Delongchamp about the company s technology for sterilizing human tissue implants, in light of the recent announcement from the Food and Drug Administration that it formed a task force to review the agency s regulations for ensuring such
AIDS vaccine nears human testing: United Press International - August 31, 2006; KANSAS CITY, Kansas - A University of Kansas Medical Center researcher hopes to get the funds needed for the next step in developing his AIDS vaccine -- testing on humans. Attention is focused on the university s Bill Narayan whose experimental vaccine kept monkeys from getting sick after being infected with a variety
WHO: Traditional healers can fight AIDS: United Press International - August 31, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Practitioners of traditional medicine are powerful weapons in the AIDS fight in Africa, the World Health Organization said Thursday. Anti-AIDS programs should make efforts to work with the traditional healers, making them partners in the healthcare system, said Luis Gomes Sambo, the organiz
Analysis: Is FDA tissue task force enough?: United Press International - August 31, 2006; Steve Mitchell, UPI Senior Medical Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- In the wake of a second recall of human tissues potentially contaminated with HIV and other infectious diseases in less than a year, the Food and Drug Administration has formed a task force to crack down on tissue recovery firms that are not adhering to federal requirements to ensure the sa
Advocates call for more needle safety: United Press International - August 30, 2006; ATLANTA - U.S. nurses and other health workers need more protection from needlestick injuries, representatives said at a conference Wednesday. At hospitals, clinics and doctors offices, workers are in danger of getting stuck by needles that have been used on patients, putting them in danger of contracting blood-borne d
Libya seeks death penalty for Bulgarians: United Press International - August 29, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A prosecutor at a Libyan court s retrial asked for death penalties for five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting 400 children with the virus that causes AIDS. The five Bulgarian women, who have spent more than seven years in a Libyan prison, originally were sentenced to death by a firing squad by a Be
Obama takes HIV test in Kenya: United Press International - August 26, 2006; KISUMU, Kenya - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., took an HIV test before thousands of onlookers in Kenya Saturday, then visited his grandmother s village. Many Obama T-shirts were spotted among the crowd gathered to watch Obama and his wife, Michelle, enter the New Nyanza General Hospital in Kisumu and be tested for AID
Accused pedophile says he has HIV virus: United Press International - August 26, 2006; DETROIT - A 37-year-old Detroit man accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy he met online told authorities he is HIV-positive, police say. Steven Foster is expected to be arraigned Monday on a third-degree criminal sexual-conduct charge involving the boy, from suburban Inkster, the Detroit Free Press said. Foster
Analysis: HIV life expectancy now 'normal': United Press International - August 25, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - A decade ago, when a doctor diagnosed a patient with an infection caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -- the microbe responsible for AIDS -- that individual faced a bleak and short future. The disease was usually advanced, the treatments were limited and a patient s life expectancy was in the neighbo
FDA panel backs Bioform facial filler: United Press International - August 25, 2006; SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bioform said Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recommended approval of Radiesse facial filler for two uses. The company said the panel advised at a meeting this week that the tissue augmentation product should be approved as a cosmetic filler to restore facial contours such as nasolab
Study: unprotected sex common among teens: United Press International - August 24, 2006; PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A study by Brown University in Providence, R.I., has suggested that U.S. teenagers use condoms more often with casual partners than with a main partner. The study, published in the September issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that teens reported using condoms during sex with a casual pa
Immune system's HIV troubles discovered: United Press International - August 22, 2006; BOSTON - Scientists at Boston s Massachusetts General Hospital say they have discovered why the immune system cannot fight the HIV virus. Bruce Walker, head of the Boston team, said the body s virus-attacking T-cells are turned off by certain diseases including human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS, CBS News
Obama to take public AIDS test in Africa: United Press International - August 22, 2006; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said during a visit to South Africa he will be publicly tested for AIDS in the Kenyan village where his father lived. Obama, speaking at the headquarters of the Treatment Action Campaign outside Cape Town, said the gesture will be an effort to break the stigma f
Studies find immune reactivation process: United Press International - August 21, 2006; CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Studies by Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and Canada s Universite de Montreal suggest that immune systems damaged by AIDS could be switched back on. The separate studies, published in Nature and Nature Medicine journals, both suggested that the immune systems of patients with AIDS, cancer an
U.N. AIDS envoy: Talk less, do more: United Press International - August 19, 2006; TORONTO - U.N. special envoy on AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis has urged delegates at an AIDS conference in Toronto to talk less and do more about the problem. Lewis wrapped up the 16th annual International AIDS Conference -- where hundreds of studies were exchanged and thousands of numbers released -- with a call for ac
Analysis: Time to quit on AIDS vaccine?: United Press International - August 19, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - For more than 20 years, scientists have been searching for the vaccine they believe can end the 25-year-old AIDS pandemic, a worldwide health disaster that has claimed more than 25 million lives. As Catherine DeAngelis, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association , says, That landmark means
The muddy equation that fuels AIDS: United Press International - August 18, 2006; Ed Susman, UPI Correspondent; TORONTO - Betty Makoni is one of the foot soldiers who battle the social complications of the AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Eight girls a day come to us. These are girls who have been raped. They are raped by their fathers or uncles or just men who believe that sex with a virgin will protect the men aga
Analysis: AIDS docs try to ease pill burden: United Press International - August 18, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - The reality that infection with human immunodeficiency virus -- the microbe that causes AIDS -- means lifetime treatment, has prompted several research teams to find ways of lessening the burden on patients. At the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, doctors reported successfully treating patients
Analysis: AIDS research pipeline bursting: United Press International - August 17, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - Over the last decade, critics of the International AIDS Conference -- witnesses to an increasing agenda of politics, policy and protest -- have asked, Where s the science? Mark Wainberg, director of the McGill University AIDS Research Center and program chairman of the 16th International AIDS Conference in To
Analysis: TB strain kills HIV patients: United Press International - August 17, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - A fast-killing strain of tuberculosis -- virtually untouchable by any drug available -- has ravaged a South African hospital. Researchers said this week that the aggressive infection killed all 52 patients in the facility who also were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AI
Bill Clinton attends AIDS conference: United Press International - August 16, 2006; TORONTO - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was in Toronto this week for the 16th International Aids Conference. Clinton denied criticism he didn t do enough to fight AIDS while he was president, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. He noted the cost of antiviral drugs dropped to about $120 per person annually in poo
AIDS vaccine, topicals remain hurdles, NIH: United Press International - August 16, 2006; TORONTO, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- An HIV vaccine and anti-AIDS topicals for women are the next hurdles in the global AIDS battle, a top U.S. health official said Wednesday. HIV is progressively taking on the face of a woman, Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health told attendees of the Inte
Analysis: AIDS: many treated, more to go: United Press International - August 16, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- One in four people who desperately need anti-AIDS medication is getting treatment -- but that is far less than the original 3 by 5 goal -- three million people in treatment by the end of 2005 - set by the World Health Organization (WHO), health experts said Wednesday. Despite the short fal
Circumcision to fight AIDS is debated: United Press International - August 16, 2006; TORONTO - Delegates to the 16th International AIDS Conference meeting in Toronto are debating whether to endorse circumcision as a method to fight AIDS. Although a decision is not expected until at least two more studies are completed, a randomized controlled trial in South Africa was stopped early last year when i
ABC AIDS program gets mixed reviews: United Press International - August 15, 2006; TORONTO - The Bush administration s ABC AIDS-prevention strategy has received mixed reviews at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. The $15 billion ABC program, which emphasizes abstinence until marriage, being faithful, and condom use, has met with mixed results in different countries, The Washington Pos
Analysis: Drugs defeat resistant AIDS: United Press International - August 15, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - Almost half the patients infected with highly resistant strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppressed the microbe that causes AIDS to undetectable levels in their blood when the new anti-AIDS drug darunavir (Prezista)was added to their multi-drug regimens. Researchers said this newest weapon agains
Black leaders urge more HIV testing: United Press International - August 15, 2006; TORONTO - A coalition of African-American leaders is reportedly calling for an urgent drive to increase AIDS testing and awareness programs in their communities. Now is the time for us to face the fact that AIDS has become a black disease, said Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP. It has invaded our house, and our leade
Report hails Zambia AIDS program: United Press International - August 14, 2006; TORONTO - Leaders of an AIDS treatment program in Lusaka, Zambia , said at a conference in Toronto that the treatments have saved multiple lives. The program s leaders said at the 16th International AIDS Conference that a report analyzing the cases of 25,000 patients given antiretroviral drugs in Zambia had found the p
Analysis: Aim high, new AIDS rules say: United Press International - August 14, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - New guidelines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS urge doctors treating patients to go for a home run and use new weapons to bludgeon the deadly AIDS virus to undetectable levels. In many cases in dealing with experienced patients who have been on multiple treatments, there is a tendency to settle for less than op
Analysis: One drug holds AIDS at bay: United Press International - August 14, 2006; Ed Susman; TORONTO - Doctors said Monday that patients with well-controlled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection might stop taking part of their antiretroviral therapy and still not have to worry about their virus rebounding. While this is just a small study that requires confirmation before it can be recommended, it woul
Analysis: AIDS science, politics mingle: United Press International - August 11, 2006; Ed Susman; More than 24,000 people began assembling in Toronto, Canada , Friday as the biannual International AIDS Conference convenes for the 16th time since 1985 -- a meeting often highlighted by promises of scientific advancement and government help in controlling the deadly viral epidemic that now infects 40 million people wo
Amarillo OK'd for study of CF drug: United Press International - August 11, 2006; Laura Gilcrest; Amarillo Biosciences said Friday the U.S. FDA has cleared the firm to launch a study of a drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company said it would launch a phase 2 clinical trial enrolling 60 patients to study its potential low-dose, oral interferon treatment as a therapy for chronic cough in IPF patients.
CDC: Risky sex behaviors down among teens: United Press International - August 10, 2006; ATLANTA - Federal health officials said Thursday high school students have decreased risky sexual behaviors over the past 15 years. However, the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows black students are more likely than whites or Hispanics to report risky behaviors that could expose them
Study: Primate peptide may block HIV: United Press International - August 9, 2006; ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they ve determined a defense peptide found in primates might block some human HIV transmissions. As primates evolved 7 million years ago, the more advanced species stopped making a protein that University of Central Florida researchers believe can effectively block the
African HIV-drug adherence beats U.S.: United Press International - August 8, 2006; CHICAGO - Low-income HIV patients in North America find it harder to stick to their drugs than sub-Saharan Africans, a new study says. Overall, 55 percent of North American patients maintained adequate adherence to their HIV treatment regimens compared to 77 percent of sub-Saharan Africans, according to a review of 31
Libyan court experts blame Bulgaria nurses: United Press International - August 8, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyan experts told a Tripoli court Tuesday five Bulgarian nurses were responsible for infecting 400 children with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The four experts confirmed their earlier findings and alleged the nurses brought the virus to a hospital in Benghazi, the SNA Bulgarian Sofia News Agency r
Research shows meth increases HIV spread: United Press International - August 4, 2006; BUFFALO, N.Y. - Methamphetamine can promote the spread of HIV-1 in users, researchers at the University of Buffalo have found. Use of methamphetamine increases production of a docking protein that enables the spread of the HIV-1 virus in infected users, said Madhavan P.N. Nair, a professor of medicine and a specialist
AIDS death rate same despite new drugs: United Press International - August 4, 2006; WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A new U.S. study says despite improvements in drug therapy the death rate for AIDS patients in North America and Europe has shown no decline . One reason researchers found is that in 2003 patients tended to be sicker when they started treatment compared to those in 1995, reports WebMD. They
U.N. condemns virgin rape in Zimbabwe: United Press International - August 2, 2006; HARARE, Zimbabwe - The rape of a girl in Zimbabwe by an HIV-positive teacher who hoped the rape would cure him earned condemnation from the United Nations. The U.N. Children s Program said Wednesday the case should shock all Zimbabweans into action, and urged new measures to protect the country s youngsters and provide
Treatment for drug-resistant HIV developed: United Press International - August 2, 2006; WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first treatment for drug-resistant human immunodeficiency viruses. The approval followed development by a Purdue University researcher of a molecule that resulted in the pill-based therapy. There are many treatments for AIDS on the market, bu
Follow-up needed for HIV drug compliance: United Press International - August 2, 2006; WASHINGTON - Practical advice and individualized attention can help people with HIV stick to a consistent drug regimen, a new study review says. Today s powerful antiretroviral drug combinations work best when patients follow doctor s orders, but many patients struggle to adhere to a strict medication schedule. The re
Romania kids with HIV face discrimination: United Press International - August 2, 2006; BUCHAREST, Romania - An international agency says Romania s children infected with the HIV virus face widespread discrimination in areas from healthcare to education. In a 104-page report, Human Rights Watch said the Romanian government failed to promote integration for some 7,200 people aged from 15 to 19, leaving the
Depression high among older AIDS patients: United Press International - July 31, 2006; NEW YORK - Researchers in New York report more Americans over the age of 50 are living with HIV/AIDS due to the introduction of anti retro-viral drugs in the late 1990s. However, a comprehensive study conducted in New York last year shows that aging HIV-positive Americans are likely to have high rates of depression as
Report: 'Boy' touched hearts, fooled many: United Press International - July 30, 2006; NEW YORK - Anthony Tony Godby Johnson, a tenacious, AIDS-stricken child who got sympathy phone calls from numerous celebrities, is not real, the New York Post says. Tony s existence has been the topic of speculation since suspicion arose that Vicki Johnson, the boy s mother and fiercely protective caretaker, had actual
Medicare to hike nursing home payments: United Press International - July 28, 2006; WASHINGTON - Medicare payments to U.S. nursing homes will increase by approximately $560 million in 2007, the agency announced late Thursday. The source: a 3.1 percent increase in payment rates to nursing facilities that furnish skilled nursing and rehabilitation care to beneficiaries with serious health problems.
Proteins could help boost immune response: United Press International - July 28, 2006; INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana researchers are theorizing that a family of proteins which fight bacteria could help increase the body s immune response rate in certain patients. Roman Dziarski, Ph.D., and Dipika Gupta, Ph.D. have released their discovery of peptidoglycan recognition proteins which could boost individuals with
AlphaVax gets patent on vaccine method: United Press International - July 26, 2006; RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - AlphaVax said Wednesday it has been granted a patent that covers a method of manufacturing a class of vaccines called alphavaccines. The patent covers a series of production steps for the scaleable manufacture of alphavirus replicon particle vaccines that the company is testing as targets
Libya court denies Bulgaria defense expert: United Press International - July 25, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A Libyan court has turned down a new expert opinion in defense of five Bulgarian nurses who allegedly infected 400 children with the virus that causes AIDS. The five Bulgarian women, in a Libyan jail for over seven years, have been standing a retrial before the Tripoli Court of Appeals after the same c
Analysis: HIV breakthrough needs support: United Press International - July 21, 2006; Olga Piercem, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- Microbicides -- treatments in the form of gels, creams or sponges that can prevent the transmission of HIV and other diseases -- could save millions of lives worldwide, offering a much needed alternative to women for whom cultural constraints make condom use an unlikely option. Products are
Analysis: Experts mixed on Pfizer future: United Press International - July 20, 2006; Steve Mitchell, UPI Senior Medical Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Pfizer , the world s largest pharmaceutical company, posted a solid second quarter that was driven by a strong performance from its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, but analysts are split on whether the company can continue achieving these kinds of figures in the future. David Moskowitz, an analyst w
South Africa HIV rate levels off: United Press International - July 20, 2006; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - HIV infections in South Africa are leveling off, but infection rates among pregnant women are still on the rise, new statistics say. A survey released Friday by the Department of Health says that 5.5 million South Africans have HIV, about the same number as last year, the Washington Post repor
Analysis:No G8 accord on new health funds: United Press International - July 20, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - The G8 summit participants agreed on global health goals in principle, and even agreed that more funding is needed -- but they could not, however, find a mechanism for producing the funding to suit all tastes. The health document produced at this year s summit includes an annex -- or language on which all
Gates to give $287M for HIV vaccine: United Press International - July 20, 2006; SEATTLE - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will distribute $287 million for HIV vaccine development in the form of 16 new grants. The goal is to create an international network of highly collaborative research consortia focused on accelerating the pace of HIV vaccine development. The grants will support a range of
Analysis: Strong Q2 expected from Gilead: United Press International - July 20, 2006; Steve Mitchell, UPI Senior Medical Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Gilead is set to release its second-quarter report Thursday, and analysts expect strong numbers from the company that will be driven by its HIV franchise. Michael King, an analyst with Rodman and Renshaw, said he expects Gilead s second-quarter earnings to beat Wall Street s expectations. Our number is $21
FDA OK's Starpharma's IND for herpes gel: United Press International - July 19, 2006; MELBOURNE - Starpharma Holdings said Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its study of an anti-herpes gel. The company said the clinical trial of the gel, known as VivaGel, is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. Safety will be the primary endpoint. The trial will be conducted in San
Gates grants $250M for HIV vaccine search: United Press International - July 19, 2006; SEATTLE - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded more than $250 million to researchers in 19 countries for development of a vaccine for the HIV virus. The grants will be given over five years to 16 teams of researchers. It is the largest private investment in the search for a vaccine for the virus that cause
AIDS: No vaccine after 25 years: United Press International - July 17, 2006; BOSTON - After 25 years and billions of research dollars the world s scientists have been unable to develop a vaccine that provides immunity against AIDS. Although there re been successes in developing medications to treat people infected with HIV/AIDS, there s been no progress in creating a vaccine, the Newark (N.J.)
Analysis: Atripla likely to boost Gilead: United Press International - July 13, 2006; Steve Mitchell, UPI Senior Medical Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Gilead could get a boost from the Food and Drug Administration s recent approval of Atripla, their triple combination pill for treating HIV infection, analysts said Thursday. Atripla combines Gilead s Emtriva and Viread with Bristol-Myers Squibb s
AHF lauds new AIDS pill: United Press International - July 13, 2006; LOS ANGELES - The AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles has thanked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approving a new single-pill AIDS treatment. The organization said the new drug, which combines three different AIDS drugs made by drug companies Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead, will make it much easier for
Analysis: FDA OK's daily 3-in-1 HIV drug: United Press International - July 12, 2006; Todd Zwillich; WASHINGTON - The U.S. government announced the approval of the first three-drug combination pill for HIV/AIDS patients Wednesday. The drug is the first chance for patients to take medication in the form of a single daily tablet. That could simplify treatment for patients who must now take several pills daily, often in
FDA OK's first once-daily HIV pill: United Press International - July 12, 2006; ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first once-daily pill for HIV/AIDS. The agency was scheduled to hold a news conference on the groundbreaking approval Tuesday in Washington. The makers of the new medication are Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb . As repo
CDC seeks HIV testing for all adults: United Press International - July 12, 2006; ATLANTA - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may require HIV screening for all adults in the United States . ABC News reports the agency plans to release guidelines this summer on the plan. It will be a part of Washington s new effort to encourage doctors to routinely screen everyone between the ages o
Circumcision demand expected to grow: United Press International - July 11, 2006; GENEVA, Switzerland - The World Health Organization predicts demand for male circumcision as a way to prevent HIV/AIDS will soar if results of two African studies prove positive. The studies were done in Kenya and Uganda last year and their results will not be known
HealthWrap: All-in-one pill for HIV: United Press International - July 10, 2006; Dan Olmsted, dolmsted@upi.com; WASHINGTON - A quarter-century after the first cases were reported -- and a decade after the first multi-dose regimen brought real hope -- a once-daily pill to combat AIDS is on the horizon. The pill is a combination of two existing anti-HIV drugs, Truvada (already a mix of two Rx s) and
Russia says 'no' to needle exchange: United Press International - July 9, 2006; MOSCOW - More than 40 countries allow needle exchanges, but Russia is resisting what U.N. officials call an essential component of HIV-prevention efforts. The World Health Organization says there is no convincing evidence that needle exchange programs cause unintentional harm. Research in Baltimore -- where needle exch
Many youth think antibiotics treat a virus: United Press International - July 7, 2006; ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Most U.S. children and teens ages 8 to 18 say they think antibiotics can protect them from catching a virus, a survey finds. Most youth do not recognize the differences between viruses and other causal agents of illness, such as bacteria, and their beliefs regarding the efficacy of prevention options
FDA to hear artificial blood test proposal: United Press International - July 6, 2006; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has said it will hear a U.S. Navy proposal to gain approval for a blood substitute linked to serious heart problems. The proposal, previously rejected three times by the FDA , would allow the Navy to use the blood substitute without consent on nearly 1,000 civilian trauma p
Hip Hop founder gets prison time: United Press International - July 6, 2006; NEW YORK - 1970s black consciousness activist, Gil Scott Heron, was sentenced to two to four years in Queens Supreme Court for violating a plea deal on a drug charge. Heron violated the deal by leaving the drug treatment center he was placed in, the New York Post reported Thursday. The 56-year-old musician, poet and si
Activists worry over expanded AIDS testing: United Press International - July 5, 2006; LOS ANGELES - Concerns are mounting in the United States over federal guidelines that would propose routine HIV tests for people 13 to 64 years old. The guidelines would urge doctors to offer the test to everyone with basic health care, regardless of risk factor. The Centers for Disease Control says broader testing is
Libyan witnesses identify Bulgarian nurses: United Press International - July 4, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - Prosecution witnesses in a Libyan court Tuesday identified five Bulgarian women as the nurses who allegedly infected 400 children with HIV. The witnesses were relatives of the Libyan children infected in a disease outbreak in a Benghazi hospital in 1998. In 1999, the five Bulgarian nurses were sentence
Bulgaria nurses retried and recharged: United Press International - July 4, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libya s criminal court renewed charges against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor of injecting Libyan children with HIV virus between 1998 and 1999. The retrial Tuesday came after the court of appeal in the city of Benghazi ruled in May 2004 in favor of the death sentences served against th
Celebrity items on eBay for AIDS charity: United Press International - July 4, 2006; LOS ANGELES - An eBay auction features donated celebrity items to benefit the California-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which operates free clinics worldwide. Celebrities who attended the 2006 Black Entertainment Television Awards June 27 donated items from their goody bags -- expensive gifts given to VIPs at awards
Abbott's Kaletra approved in Europe: United Press International - July 3, 2006; ABBOTT PARK, Ill. - Abbott said Monday the European Commission approved its tablet formulation of Kaletra for the treatment of HIV infection. Abbott said the Kaletra tablet does not require refrigeration and enables patients to take fewer pills of the protease inhibitor for their treatment regimen. In addition, patient
Few complete anti-HIV post-rape therapy: United Press International - July 3, 2006; Ed Susman; Few adolescent victims of sexual assault complete treatment that can protect them from developing the sexually transmitted virus that causes AIDS. Researchers looking over the charts of individuals who reported to emergency rooms after being raped found that of the 145 adolescents, ages 12 to 22, included in the study
FDA approves fixed-dose AIDS cocktail: United Press International - June 30, 2006; ROCKVILLE, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has tentatively cleared a new three-way drug cocktail to treat HIV/AIDS. The agency said it has approved a first-of-its-kind, three-ingredient fixed-dose tablet -- made by Indian firm Aurobindo -- as a stand-alone anti-retroviral treatment in adults.
New guidelines for insect bites, rashes: United Press International - June 29, 2006; BALTIMORE - U.S. children afflicted with insect-bite rashes are often misdiagnosed or referred for extensive and costly tests, but new guidelines should help. Children afflicted with insect-bite rashes are often misdiagnosed or referred for extensive and costly tests. But a new set of guidelines developed at The Johns
HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks revised: United Press International - June 29, 2006; WASHINGTON - The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced Thursday the new structure of its HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks. The NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health, said the networks will search for safe and effective treatments and prevention strategies, including HIV vaccin
Walgreens to acquires Medmark: United Press International - June 29, 2006; DEERFIELD, Ill. - Walgreens said Thursday it would acquire Pittsburgh-based Medmark in an apparent effort to move into the specialty pharmacy market. Medmark is a national company that provides injectables, infusibles and oral medications for patients with unique or chronic needs, including hepatitis, multiple sclerosi
Generic pediatric AIDS Drug gets U.S. OK: The New York Times - June 28, 2006; WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tentatively approved the generic version of Abacavir Sulfate Oral Solution for use by pediatric AIDS victims. The pharmaceutical manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma LTD. of India , is the first generic version of the alr
WFP: HIV/AIDS aggravates chronic hunger: The New York Times - June 28, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The United Nations says HIV/AIDS in southern parts of Africa is aggravating the region s chronic hunger despite a good harvest this year. The world body s World Food Program says more than 3 million people would experience food shortages because of grinding poverty as well as the world s hi
OraSure to supply HIV tests to NYC: The New York Times - June 27, 2006; BETHLEHEM, Pa. - OraSure Technologies said Tuesday it has signed a $6 million deal with New York City to supply the firm s OraQuick Rapid HIV test. The multi-year agreement with the city s Department of Mental Health and Hygiene is aimed at expanding use in the city of the OraQuick ADVANCE rapid test, which detects the
Foxy Brown to headline Summer Jumpoff: The New York Times - June 27, 2006; NEW YORK - Foxy Brown has been named to the musical lineup of the upcoming Reggae Gold Live 2006 Summer Jumpoff concert in New York. The rapper, who recently had successful surgery to regain her hearing, will join acts such as Wayne Wonder, Beenie Man, and Kulcha Don for the HIV/AIDS awareness concert, Allhiphop.com re
BioLytical's INSTI HIV test given CE Mark: United Press International - June 27, 2006; RICHMOND, British Columbia - bioLytical Laboratories said Tuesday its INSTI HIV test was granted the European CE Mark approval. To have CE Mark approval will now allow us to enter the European market and target 28 different countries, said Robert Mackie, bioLytical s president and chief executive officer. The approval,
Getting every American tested for HIV: United Press International - June 26, 2006; Mara Gordon, consumerhealth@upi.com; WASHINGTON - More than 250,000 people in the United States are HIV positive and do not know it. At least several thousand of them will get tested for the virus Tuesday, public health officials hope. June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, marking a large-scale public awareness campaign to get Americans into clinics and no
Warren Buffett to give away fortune: United Press International - June 25, 2006; NEW YORK - Billionaire Warren Buffett plans to begin next month giving away 85 percent of his wealth, Fortune magazine reported. Buffett -- who is worth an estimated $44 billion -- will give a large majority of the funds to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill and Melinda Gates have been the only trustees of t
D.C. wants HIV test for all, ages 14-84: United Press International - June 24, 2006; WASHINGTON - The nation s capital plans to begin a campaign next week calling on all Washington residents between ages 14 and 84 to be tested for HIV, it was reported. The human immunodeficiency virus is the cause of AIDS. Officials are trying to turn around the spread of the virus in the city, which has one of the wor
CDC: OraSure's HIV test improves screening: United Press International - June 22, 2006; ATLANTA - Federal officials said Thursday OraSure s rapid HIV test improved screening at state and local health departments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the June 23 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that OraSure s OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody test has helped identi
Devon Medical OK'd on anti-stick syringe: United Press International - June 21, 2006; KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Devon Medical said Wednesday it has been cleared to market its anti-needlestick safety syringe, SharpShield. The device maker said the new syringe allows single-hand injection with virtually no change in standard techniques. The syringe s safety device passively activates once under the skin, whe
Abstinence doesn't help HIV, STD spread: United Press International - June 21, 2006; LUSAKA, Zambia - Teaching young women in Zambia to delay sex until marriage is not enough to prevent the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, says a U.S. study. However, Tulane University researcher Sohail Agha showed that years of education was a stronger predictor of both delaying sex and using condoms.
Bayer OK'd on automated HIV test: United Press International - June 21, 2006; TARRYTOWN, N.Y. - Bayer Diagnostics said Wednesday it has been approved for the first fully automated HIV antibody test. The company said the test is capable of detecting all known types of HIV infection under world healthcare guidelines. Bayer said its Advia Centaur HIV test can detect the presence of antibodies to HI
Woman gets jail for giving boyfriend AIDS: United Press International - June 20, 2006; LONDON - An English woman has been sentenced to almost three years in prison for infecting her boyfriend with the virus that causes AIDS. Prosecutors said that Sarah Jane Porter, a receptionist at the Vidal Sassoon hair salon in London, told her boyfriend that he had infected her, The Independent reported. He was so up
Bulgarian nurses retrial postponed: United Press International - June 20, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - A Libyan court has again postponed the retrial of five Bulgarian nurses who were sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 400 children with HIV virus. The Appeals Court in Tripoli set a hearing for July 4, Bulgaria s Sofia News Agency SNA reported. The court last week said it would have weekly hearin
Immune Response to expand HIV trial: United Press International - June 19, 2006; CARLSBAD, Calif. - The Immune Response Corp. said Monday it has received the go-ahead to expand its phase 2 trial of a new HIV treatment. The company said it has completed the first stage of enrollment of drug-naive HIV patients in the phase 2 study of IR103, set in Italy . The trial -- including 31 patients from a pre
HIV-positive pregnant women face challenges: United Press International - June 19, 2006; WITWATERSRAND, South Africa - HIV-positive pregnant women are more likely to have anemia, high blood pressure and deliver babies with lower birth weight, say South African researchers. Researchers at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa compared 212 HIV-positive mothers-to-be with 101 women who had tested ne
Interview: A one-stop healthcare shop: United Press International - June 17, 2006; Christine Dell'Amore, consumerhealth@upi.com; WASHINGTON - Solving global health crises such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis calls for some serious innovation. So by thinking outside the box, Laurie Garrett, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, came up with a solution inside the box. Garrett dreamed up Doc-in-the-Box, a pioneering pr
Improper sterilization exposes patients: United Press International - June 13, 2006; SAN DIEGO - A third Scripps hospital in California has alerted 80 patients of an improperly sterilized instrument that may have exposed them to serious risk. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Green Hospital of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla is encouraging patients who may have been exposed to be tested for HIV
Bulgarian nurses' retrial adjourned again: United Press International - June 13, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - The retrial of five Bulgarian nurses, who were sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 400 Libyan children with HIV virus, has been adjourned for a week. The oft-delayed trial is to convene again June 20. The presiding judge said he will have hearings on a weekly basis to speed up the proceedings, B
HIV vaccine might offer survival advantage: United Press International - June 12, 2006; WASHINGTON - U.S. researchers say even if an HIV vaccine doesn t offer perfect protection against the virus, it might provide a survival advantage after infection. Such a survival advantage was observed in two monkey studies sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. One team of researchers
Educating Indian sex workers: United Press International - June 12, 2006; Ambika Behal, consumerhealth@upi.com; NEW DELHI - National AIDS control programs in India must focus on educating rather than reforming high-risk groups including prostitutes and drug users -- contrary to the beliefs of some American non-profit organizations, experts here say. The National AIDS control program is very vibrant and there is lots of awareness
HBO original movie 'Life Support' now cast: United Press International - June 12, 2006; NEW YORK - A star-studded TV cast has joined Queen Latifah in the HBO original movie Life Support. Actor Wendell Pierce, co-star of HBO s crime drama The Wire, and Anna Deavere Smith from NBC s The West Wing will play Latifah s husband and mother, the Hollywood Reporter said Monday. Two children of pop star Diana Ross,
Analysis: States retool Medicaid plans: United Press International - June 6, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Burdened by unsustainable Medicaid budget growth, states are taking advantage of a new federal law that gives them the flexibility to experiment with their Medicaid programs to cut costs. Using a waiver mechanism contained in Section 1115 of the Social Security Act, Florida and South Carolina are embarking
Disease model details HIV therapies: United Press International - June 6, 2006; WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists say increasingly effective HIV therapies have provided 3 million years of total extended life to Americans with AIDS since 1989. Drs. Rochelle Walensky, Kenneth Freedberg and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases also estimate drug
Quick, simple HIV test backed: United Press International - June 6, 2006; Alecia Darm, UPI Correspondent; WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- Public-health officials are promoting wider use of a 20-minute test for HIV -- a test they say can help curb one of the leading causes of death in the United States . If more HIV testing centers used the Ora Quick Advance, a test that requires only an oral swab, more patients could make info
Update AIDS act, minority group says: United Press International - June 5, 2006; COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 5 (UPI) -- Congress should pass a bill to direct federal AIDS funding to where it s most needed, minority health advocates said Monday. The National Minority Health Month Foundation marked the 25th anniversary of the first documented AIDS cases by calling upon Congress to immediately modernize and
AIDS pill makes treatment easier: United Press International - June 5, 2006; MIAMI, June 5 (UPI) -- AIDS specialists in the United States are testing a once-a-day pill that may prevent HIV from becoming full-blown AIDS. Three drugs -- Emtriva , Viread and Sus
African-American HIV rate higher: United Press International - June 5, 2006; SEATTLE - The HIV infection rate of non-Hispanic blacks is 20 times greater than the remainder of the U.S. population, according to a study by University of Washington. Lead author Martina Morris, a sociologist who directs the University of Washington s Center for the Studies in Demography and Ecology, drew on the Nati
Calif. doctor hailed as AIDS pioneer: United Press International - June 5, 2006; SAN JOSE, Calif. - A California doctor is credited with being among the first to combine AIDS treatment with community education to prevent the disease. The San Jose Mercury News says Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, who lost a partner to AIDS in 1992, was a pioneer in AIDS treatment. The type of treatment Fenstersheib pioneere
One doctor's fight against AIDS: United Press International - June 4, 2006; GABORONE, Botswana , June 4 (UPI) -- In Botswana -- the country hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic -- a Texas native is providing state-of-the-art care, The Houston Chronicle reported. The treatment clinic operated by Dr. Mark Kline provides care for 1,400 children and 200 families who are HIV-positive. Kline, 49, fo
Analysis: U.N. grapples with AIDS worldwide: United Press International - June 2, 2006; Edith Honan; UNITED NATIONS, June 2 (UPI) -- The United Nations says without renewed political will and a major increase in aid, the spread of the AIDS epidemic is likely to continue. A declaration agreed to Friday to redouble efforts against the global scourge followed a three-day assessment of progress made since a set of major g
Kenya offers free AIDS drugs: United Press International - June 2, 2006; NAIROBI, Kenya , June 2 (UPI) -- Kenya is now offering free medication to hospital patients with AIDS and HIV, it was reported Friday. Previously, AIDS and HIV patients had to pay for their medications, but President Mwai Kibaki announced during his Madaraka Day address on Thursday that people suffering from AIDS and H
Prostate patients warned of possible virus: United Press International - June 2, 2006; MILWAUKEE - Some 2,000 patients of a Milwaukee veterans hospital are being warned they may have been exposed to viruses, including HIV. The patients all under went prostate biopsies in the period 1989-2003 at the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center. While officials described the risk of infection as very small, i
Analysis: Global health lacks clear plan: United Press International - June 2, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Increased government and philanthropic funding for global health means that resources are on the rise, but in order to get the most for the money, donors need to coordinate their efforts and give recipient countries more of a say in how funds are applied, panelists said Thursday at the International Confer
U.N. crafts declaration on HIV: United Press International - June 1, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - A draft declaration for the U.N. conference on AIDS suggests a major compromise may be possible on contentious issues relating to the epidemic. The draft, shown to reporters Thursday at United Nations World Headquarters in New York, addressed some of the moral disagreements, such as any mention of the
UN: AIDS exposes gender discrimination: United Press International - June 1, 2006; WASHINGTON - The tragedy of AIDS has revealed the discrimination women face in many regions, a top United Nations official said Thursday. But within the tragedy of the AIDS pandemic lies an opportunity for changing male behaviour, particularly the discrimination against women that has been spotlighted as the disease ha
AIDS plan 'a major step backwards': United Press International - May 31, 2006; NEW YORK - AIDS organizations accused the United States of weakening a U.N. proposal by removing target numbers and making other changes, The Financial Times reported. The administration of President George Bush also has diluted references to condoms and other AIDS-preventing methods in the proposed 2006 U.N. declarati
U.N.: Protect young women from HIV/AIDS: United Press International - May 31, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on member states to combat HIV/AIDS infection among young women who suffer double the rate of young men. He made the plea Wednesday at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly s special high-level meeting on AIDS marking five years since the world body s dec
Analysis: World slow to meet HIV goals: United Press International - May 31, 2006; Edith Honan; UNITED NATIONS - When the United Nations convened in 2001 for a special session of the General Assembly to formulate a global response to HIV/AIDS, the world body settled on the ambitious goal of reversing the spread of the epidemic by 2015. Five years later, as world leaders reconvened Wednesday at U.N. World Headquar
Analysis: U.N. reports AIDS progress, but.: United Press International - May 31, 2006; William M. Reilly, UPI U.N. Correspondent; UNITED NATIONS - As the AIDS pandemic enters its 25th year, a United Nations report issued this year sees important progress in HIV prevention and treatment in fighting the epidemic. However, the U.N. calls for a significant acceleration of the AIDS response it says continues to be outpaced by the disease.
AIDS epidemic slowing in India: United Press International - May 30, 2006; NEW DELHI - The AIDS epidemic in India s southern states, which account for 75 percent of the cases in the country, is declining, says an Indo-Canadian study. The findings, published in the British medical journal Lancet, were welcomed as the best news on AIDS for India. The study said HIV infections have decreased by
Protein target for anti-viral drug found: United Press International - May 30, 2006; RICHMOND, Va. - U.S. researchers say they have used small molecules containing platinum to inhibit proteins important in the development of HIV and cancer. The researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University s Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, Va., say the findings may help researchers develop new drugs to fight HIV or
Number of new AIDS cases stabilizing: United Press International - May 30, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - A new U.N. report indicates progress is being made in the fight against HIV and AIDS, with the infection rate seeming to have peaked. The report from the U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS said anti-HIV spending increased to $8.3 billion in 2005, allowing substantial treatment access, especially in sub-Saharan A
Catholics fighting HIV in Zambia: United Press International - May 29, 2006; KOENIGSTEIN - Catholics are helping Zambia fight HIV, in part by upholding traditional moral values. Father Alick Mbanda, chancellor of the Zambian diocese of Ndola, says Catholic-run programs to combat HIV were proving vital in bringing about a long-awaited downturn in the number of people infected with the virus, Zen
Groups: Children lack HIV treatment: United Press International - May 26, 2006; NEW YORK - Only one child in 20 who needs HIV treatment receives it, according to a report launched today by child advocacy organizations. The Global Movement for Children, a consortium of seven of the world s leading child advocacy organizations, issued an appeal for the international community to recognize that child
Antioxidant tested to treat AIDS dimentia: United Press International - May 26, 2006; ST. LOUIS - Researchers said Friday a newly discovered antioxidant shows promise in preventing AIDS dementia . The antioxidant is N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA), and researchers wanted to test whether it could prevent cell death and reverse oxidative stress, a marker of a range of different irreversible neurological dis
St. Helena fears AIDS coming from outside: United Press International - May 26, 2006; JAMESTOWN, Saint Helena - Residents of the isolated island of St. Helena fear that construction workers from South Africa could bring AIDS with them. The island in the South Atlantic, best known as the place where Napoleon spent his last days, is one of the few places in the world entirely free of the d
HBO film takes on blacks and AIDS: United Press International - May 24, 2006; LOS ANGELES - Singer/actress Queen Latifah will portray a former crack addict and current AIDS activist in an HBO Film spotlighting the HIV crisis among U.S. blacks. The star will also executive produce Life Support along with Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, Jaime King, Marcus King, Sahkim Compere and Shelby Stone, The
Bavarian Nordic launches U.S. vaccine biz: United Press International - May 24, 2006; WASHINGTON - Bavarian Nordic said Wednesday it planned to establish a U.S. business to help advance its smallpox, HIV and cancer vaccines. The new company, Bavarian Nordic Inc., will be located in Washington, D.C., and will be headed by Espen Kateraas as of July 1. Kateraas comes from Becton Dickinson, where he held se
Annan shocked at WHO director's death: United Press International - May 22, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday was shocked and saddened by the death of Dr. Lee Jong-wook, director-general of the U.N. s World Health Organization . In a statement issued in Beijing, where he is visiting, Annan said, I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing. Lee,
Schools' effort on STDs, HIV doesn't work: United Press International - May 19, 2006; MEXICO CITY - Current efforts to combat sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy in Mexican schools do not change sexual risk behavior, a study finds. Most recent efforts to prevent sexually transmitted infections as well as preventing HIV and pregnancy in adolescents have been school-based projects that
Herpes on the rise in Australia: United Press International - May 19, 2006; SYDNEY - One in eight Australian adults has been infected with the virus causing genital herpes , with the rate one in five for women aged 35-44, a study said. The first Australian study of herpes simplex virus infection -- published in the British journal Sexually Transmitted Infections -- also found 76 percent of Au
Analysis: Cures for disease neglect: United Press International - May 19, 2006; Olga Pierce, UPI Health Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Neglected diseases -- diseases that are widespread and destructive but affect primarily the world s poor and thus attract little research investment in cures -- kill and sicken millions every year. A number of proposals, including a new bill in the Senate, have been made to use market forces to give pharma
HIV vaccine database launched: United Press International - May 18, 2006; NEW YORK - To mark HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Thursday, the New York-based AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition launched an online AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse. The site is a comprehensive and interactive source of AIDS vaccine information on the Internet, with information on people and organizations involved in vaccine advoca
U.N. opens Caribbean education forums: United Press International - May 18, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - U.N. agricultural and educational agencies have opened a two-day Caribbean regional meeting in St. Lucia on nutrition, education and HIV/AIDS. With rural poverty high and the level of rural education low in Caribbean countries, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization was to present a report to the
FDA approves generic AIDS drug from India: United Press International - May 18, 2006; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration gave tentative approval Thursday to a generic anti-HIV drug made in India for purchase and use outside the United States . The President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is providing $15 billion over five years to treat HIV and AIDS, primarily in the 15 countries
AIDS drug trials may be virus stopper: United Press International - May 18, 2006; FOSTER CITY, Calif. - A U.S. pharmaceutical company is trying to get complete human data on a drug proven to prevent HIV in monkeys more than 12 years ago. Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, Calif., has been selling tenofovir as an AIDS treatment drug but it hasn t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for
Bono rallies telecoms in anti-AIDS wave: United Press International - May 16, 2006; Shihoko Goto, UPI Senior Business Correspondent; WASHINGTON - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have taken up the plight of children in Africa as their cause, while George Clooney has banded with his father to boost the profile of the conflict in Darfur to rally international attention. Certainly, Hollywood has embraced the continent as a cause worthy of the media limelig
Valentino Barbie to fund AIDS research: United Press International - May 16, 2006; VIENNA - Barbie dolls in replicas of the Valentino gown worn by actress Julia Roberts when she won her 2001 Oscar will be sold at an AIDS benefit in Austria . Roberts has described the dress as one of her all-time favorites, ANSA reported Tuesday. Only 300 of the Valentino Barbie dolls were created and will be sold for
Study may lead to novel HIV treatment: United Press International - May 16, 2006; PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. research on signaling pathways in immune cells bolsters evidence of connections between the central nervous system and the immune system. Researchers at the Children s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania say their cell culture study s findings might advance the scientific fo
Glaxo Lexiva on par with Abbott HIV drug: United Press International - May 16, 2006; RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- GlaxoSmithKline researchers in North Carolina said Tuesday a new study indicates Lexiva is comparable to Abbott s Kaletra in treatment-naive HIV patients. GSK said it conducted the study because Kaletra is designated as the preferred HIV protease inhibitor by the U.
Naomi Watts launches UNAIDS campaign: United Press International - May 15, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations launched a global AIDS awareness campaign Monday with the help of its newest special representative, actress Naomi Watts. Watts is the official face of Four for Everyone, launched to mark the 10th anniversary of the UNAIDS agency and to promote AIDS prevention, treatment, care and su
Motorola helps Africa anti-AIDS efforts: United Press International - May 15, 2006; BASINGSTOKE, England - Motorola launched a series of mobile phones that are designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The company s RED MOTOSLVR series will be backed by British companies BT Mobile, Carphone Warehouse, Fresh, O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile, which have all agreed to contribute $18
Archbishop calls for gay tolerance: United Press International - May 15, 2006; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South African Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane says it is time for his church to stop discriminating against homosexuals. Ndungane has been an anomaly in Africa for voicing support of openly gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who was ordained in 2003, The Washington Post reported.
Experts not peers better in HIV prevention: United Press International - May 12, 2006; GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Although it is conventional wisdom that peers are most successful in HIV prevention campaigns, a U.S. study finds experts are more effective than peers. A University of Florida study found the most effective resources are experts whose gender and ethnicity match the patients seeking guidance. The
Patent fight in India centers on AIDS drug: United Press International - May 11, 2006; NEW DELHI - A patent application covering tenofovir , a major AIDS drug, has started a major patent fight in India . If the drug is granted a patent, the manufacture of cheaper versions of tenofovir in India will become illegal, making the drug too expensive for many patients
Study shows how HIV sabotages human cells: United Press International - May 11, 2006; LONDON - British researchers say they have discovered more details of the process by which human cells manufacture viruses such as HIV. Teams from Cambridge and Oxford universities told the BBC they have witnessed the process in action and have identified the crucial role of key elements. The scientists say their study
Bulgarian nurses retrial adjourned: United Press International - May 11, 2006; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyan officials postponed the retrial of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in 1999 for infecti