via Citizens News Service, by Somya Arora According to the Microbicides Trials Network (MTN), HIV continues to disproportionately affect racial minorities and men who have sex with men (MSM). MTN estimates that 5 to 10 percent of the world’s population engages in anal sex and globally, MSM are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV Read More >>

The teleconference I am referring to – “And in the beginning, there were Rectal Microbicides” – was held last Thursday. The slides and call recording are available now. It was a really interesting call – with LOTS of great questions from the participants. Thanks to everyone who made it so dynamic – including presenter Ian McGowan and Read More >>

Please Register for this Teleconference!  Please join IRMA, AVAC and Ian McGowan, co-principal investigator of the Microbicide Trials Network and Principal Investigator of CHARM (the Combination HIV Antiretroviral Rectal Microbicide Program) for a thoroughly CHARMing teleconference update on what is happening with this innovative program. Funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 2009, CHARM is Read More >>

via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, by David Templeton Highlight: Dr. McGowan said the size of the NIH grants reflects a change in Washington, D.C., where the Obama administration has shown greater interest in funding HIV-prevention research. “The Bush administration had a very high level of discomfort embracing HIV prevention research in men,” he said. “But I think in the Read More >>

via Erie Gay News A multicenter research team led by the University of Pittsburgh is developing microbicides specifically designed to prevent rectal transmission of HIV, with the further aim of assessing their safety and efficacy in lab and early clinical studies. Funded by an $11 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, the Combination HIV Read More >>

Dr. Ian McGowan* (pictured), an investigator with the Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), recently received a total of $17.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct two studies involving the development of rectal microbicides. “This is exciting for the field of HIV prevention research, and especially important in terms of moving the research and development Read More >>