via IRMA/AVAC, presented by Jim A. Turpin Please register for this teleconference.  Meeting Description: In the last two years there has been great progress in ARV-based prevention strategies – both in terms of PrEP and microbicides. Specifically, there has been enormous excitement and promise around two drugs – tenofovir and Truvada. And more recently, studies testing Dapivirine Read More >>

via aidsmap.com, by Roger Pebody Draft UK guidance on fertility treatment says that sperm washing may no longer be necessary for couples where the man has HIV and the woman does not. As long as the man is on effective antiretroviral treatment and unprotected sex is limited to days when his partner is ovulating, “sperm washing may Read More >>

via Science, by Anthony S. Fauci Thirty years have passed since the first cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How does this anniversary compare to the 20th or the 10th? The differences are considerable, because we now have an unprecedented opportunity, based on solid scientific Read More >>

via ScienceInsider Just as White House officials promised over the weekend, the 2011 funding bill agreed to by Congress and the White House last Friday spares biomedical research from major cuts. Details released today indicate that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive $30.7 billion, or $260 million below the 2010 level. The 0.8% cut includes Read More >>

Via Poz, by Tim Horn The AIDS Healthcare Foundation began a paid advertisement campaign urging Gilead Sciences to refrain from seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Truvada for use of the combination tablet as HIV prevention, in an approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The ads were met by an outcry from the Read More >>

via Microbicide Trials Network [The abstract, Tenofovir Gel Reformulation Results in Improved Product Safety for Rectal Application, was presented at a poster session from 2-4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 28. The results of RMP-02/MTN-006 were discussed at a CROI press conference from 7:30-8:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 28] ‘New’ gel safe in laboratory studies BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2011 – Read More >>

via Microbicide Trials Network [The abstract, RMP-02/MTN-006: A Phase I Placebo Controlled Trial of Rectally Applied 1% Vaginal Tenofovir Gel with Comparison to Oral Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate, is being presented at a scientific session at CROI 2011 TODAY from 10 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET.] Strongest effect seen in tissue taken from participants after one week of Read More >>

via Nature Medicine, by Asher MullardIn July, the global health financing mechanism UNITAID established an intellectual property–sharing scheme focused on scaling up access to new and lower-priced antiretroviral drugs in the developing world. The initiative—called the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP)—aims to streamline licensing processes, drive the combination of multiple HIV medicines into one pill and foster the Read More >>

From AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, by Veronese, Turpin and Feuer A workshop entitled Beyond 2010: Gaps, Challenges, and Priorities for the Future of Preclinical HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) was sponsored by the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), on October 20-21, 2009, in Read More >>

From the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) is currently planning for the future of NIAID’s HIV/AIDS clinical trial networks. The following links connect to background information discussing the process, scientific priorities, structural components and collaborative opportunities with respect to the restructuring: Restructuring NIAID’s HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Read More >>