HIV is spreading in New York City at about three times the national rate, with an incidence of 72 new HIV infections per 100,000 people, compared with 23 new infections per 100,000 people nationwide, according to a study released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York Times reports (Chan, New York Times, 8/28).
The study's findings are based on a new HIV testing method developed by CDC that can determine when an HIV infection occurred. Previous data did not distinguish recent infections from those that occurred years earlier, according to the health department. About 100,000 New York residents are living with HIV, health officials said (Honan, Reuters, 8/27). According to the study, 4,762 New York residents contracted HIV in 2006 (New York Times, 8/28). Health officials attributed the higher rate of new HIV infections in the city to large populations of blacks, men who have sex with men and other high-risk groups (AP/Google.com, 8/27). According to the health department, it is unclear whether the number of new infections that occurred in the city in 2006 had increased or decreased over previous years because the testing method is new.
According to the study, men accounted for 76% of new HIV infections while women accounted for 25%. Blacks accounted for 46% of new infections, Hispanics for 32% and whites for 21%. Whites living in the city contracted HIV at four times the national rate, Hispanics at three times the national rate, and blacks in the city contracted the virus at almost twice the national rate. The study found that 4% of new infections were among people younger than age 20, while people ages 20 to 29 accounted for 24% of new infections. People ages 30 to 39 and those ages 40 to 49 each accounted for 29% of new infections, while people older than age 50 accounted for 15%. People younger than age 30 accounted for 28% of new infections in New York City, compared with 41% nationwide.
The primary mode of HIV transmission was sex between men, which accounted for 50% of new infections. High-risk heterosexual sex accounted for 22% of new infections, and injection drug use accounted for 8%. The mode of transmission was unknown in 18% of new cases, the study found (New York Times, 8/28).
In addition, the study found that blacks living in the city contracted HIV at three times the rate of whites and that blacks accounted for almost half of new infections (Reuters, 8/27). Of new HIV infections among MSM younger than age 30, 77% occurred in black and Hispanic men. Black and Hispanic MSM ages 30 to 50 also accounted for 59% of new infections among MSM in that age group (New York Times, 8/28).
Assistant Health Commissioner Monica Sweeney said the study's findings reinforce the need to continue promoting HIV testing and prevention throughout the city (AP/Google.com, 8/27). The department in a statement added that "even a rough gauge of HIV incidence is a valuable tool for understanding -- and combating -- the spread of HIV." The department said that by using the same testing method in future years, "researchers may be able to discern increases and decreases [in HIV incidence] over time and target prevention efforts accordingly" (New York Times, 8/28).
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
FDA Gives Tentative Approval to New Generic AIDS Drug
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the tentative approval of a generic AIDS drug - abacavir (a-BAK-a-veer) sulfate tablets manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma LTD. of Hyderabad, India. Abacavir sulfate tablets are the first generic version of the already approved Ziagen Tablets, an anti-HIV medication manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. This product will now be available for consideration for purchase under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
"FDA's action adds yet another anti-HIV product to those available for purchase under the President's Plan and demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensuring that safe, effective, and quality manufactured medications are available for purchase under the President's Plan," said Murray M. Lumpkin, M.D., Deputy Commissioner for International and Special Programs.
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDSRelief, which President Bush first announced in his 2003 State of the Union Address, is currently providing $15 billion to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic over five years, with a special focus on 15 of the hardest hit countries. The President's plan is designed to prevent seven million new HIV infections, treat at least two million HIV-infected people, and care for ten million HIV-affected individuals, AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. It targets three specific areas related to HIV/AIDS:
Prevention of HIV transmission;
Treatment of AIDS and associated conditions;
Care, including palliative care for HIV infected-individuals, and care for orphans and vulnerable children.
Abacavir is one of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), a class of drugs that helps keep the AIDS virus from reproducing. It is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
The agency's tentative approval of this product means that Aurobindo's product meets all of FDA's manufacturing quality and clinical safety and efficacy standards. Although existing patents and/or exclusivity prevent its marketing in the United States, the product can be marketed abroad and used under the PEPFAR plan.
More information on HIV and AIDS is available online at FDA's website:http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/hiv.html
"FDA's action adds yet another anti-HIV product to those available for purchase under the President's Plan and demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensuring that safe, effective, and quality manufactured medications are available for purchase under the President's Plan," said Murray M. Lumpkin, M.D., Deputy Commissioner for International and Special Programs.
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDSRelief, which President Bush first announced in his 2003 State of the Union Address, is currently providing $15 billion to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic over five years, with a special focus on 15 of the hardest hit countries. The President's plan is designed to prevent seven million new HIV infections, treat at least two million HIV-infected people, and care for ten million HIV-affected individuals, AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. It targets three specific areas related to HIV/AIDS:
Prevention of HIV transmission;
Treatment of AIDS and associated conditions;
Care, including palliative care for HIV infected-individuals, and care for orphans and vulnerable children.
Abacavir is one of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), a class of drugs that helps keep the AIDS virus from reproducing. It is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
The agency's tentative approval of this product means that Aurobindo's product meets all of FDA's manufacturing quality and clinical safety and efficacy standards. Although existing patents and/or exclusivity prevent its marketing in the United States, the product can be marketed abroad and used under the PEPFAR plan.
More information on HIV and AIDS is available online at FDA's website:http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/hiv.html
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Free Condoms to Olympic Visitors in China
BEIJING: Beijing authorities are distributing 400,000 free condoms to visitors during the Olympic Games to promote safe sex and prevent the risk of AIDS infection in Beijing and four other co-host cities in China.
Jin Dapeng, a senior official of the health bureau said the condoms had been put in more than 90,000 rooms of 424 hotels rated three stars and above. They included 119 contract hotels in which rooms have been rented by the Olympic Games organisers and Olympic committees of different countries.
An additional 100,000 condoms of "high quality" have been made available for distribution at the health clinic in the Games village, where athletes and some of the sports officials are living.
Free AIDS testing and counselling is being made available in 40 clinics in Beijing's 18 districts and counties. Besides condoms, the bureau is also distributing 250,000 pamphlets in English, French and Chinese to propagate the idea of AIDS prevention and control in different hotels.
Assisting the distributing of these material are hundreds of trained volunteers, who are acting on advice from the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS and the International Olympic Committee, UNAIDS and IOC are actively involved in the drive to ensure safe sex during the Games.
Jin said 180 college students and 500 community volunteers are involved in the task
Jin Dapeng, a senior official of the health bureau said the condoms had been put in more than 90,000 rooms of 424 hotels rated three stars and above. They included 119 contract hotels in which rooms have been rented by the Olympic Games organisers and Olympic committees of different countries.
An additional 100,000 condoms of "high quality" have been made available for distribution at the health clinic in the Games village, where athletes and some of the sports officials are living.
Free AIDS testing and counselling is being made available in 40 clinics in Beijing's 18 districts and counties. Besides condoms, the bureau is also distributing 250,000 pamphlets in English, French and Chinese to propagate the idea of AIDS prevention and control in different hotels.
Assisting the distributing of these material are hundreds of trained volunteers, who are acting on advice from the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS and the International Olympic Committee, UNAIDS and IOC are actively involved in the drive to ensure safe sex during the Games.
Jin said 180 college students and 500 community volunteers are involved in the task
Phase One of HIV Vaccine Completed
CHENNAI: The successful completion of phase-1 of clinical trials of the ASIDS vaccine developed here has indicated that it had acceptable levels of safety and was well tolerated, say the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
The trial relied on an Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) based AIDS vaccine candidate (TBC-M4). The response levels of volunteers suggested that it holds promise, the three organisations said in a joint statement.
The trial used two doses of the MVA. After three injections, 82 percent of the volunteers who received a low dose and 100 percent of those who received a high dose registered immune responses to the vaccine.
The 100 percent response rate is greater than that seen with the majority of AIDS vaccine candidates tested in humans to date. However the strength and diversity of these immune responses were modest.
It may be possible to boost the immune response, if this vaccine is used in combination with other candidate AIDS vaccines.
"We are pleased to see that the MVA-based candidate tested in Chennai was safe and showed promising initial immune responses. We do not know whether these observed responses will ultimately translate into an effective vaccine ... but hope to learn more through further testing," said S.K. Bhattacharya, additional director general of ICMR.
"India is playing a significant role in global AIDS vaccine discovery efforts given our strong medical and scientific capabilities. There is a need for continued efforts for the creation of novel, reliable mechanisms for long-term research on AIDS vaccines and other new prevention technologies," he added.
The phase I clinical trial was started in January 2006 at the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), an ICMR institute in Chennai, and was completed in February 2008.
This trial was conducted under the aegis of a MoU between the central government through ICMR and NACO and IAVI. YRG CARE, based in Chennai, collaborated with TRC to mobilise the community around the phase I trial.
The trial relied on an Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) based AIDS vaccine candidate (TBC-M4). The response levels of volunteers suggested that it holds promise, the three organisations said in a joint statement.
The trial used two doses of the MVA. After three injections, 82 percent of the volunteers who received a low dose and 100 percent of those who received a high dose registered immune responses to the vaccine.
The 100 percent response rate is greater than that seen with the majority of AIDS vaccine candidates tested in humans to date. However the strength and diversity of these immune responses were modest.
It may be possible to boost the immune response, if this vaccine is used in combination with other candidate AIDS vaccines.
"We are pleased to see that the MVA-based candidate tested in Chennai was safe and showed promising initial immune responses. We do not know whether these observed responses will ultimately translate into an effective vaccine ... but hope to learn more through further testing," said S.K. Bhattacharya, additional director general of ICMR.
"India is playing a significant role in global AIDS vaccine discovery efforts given our strong medical and scientific capabilities. There is a need for continued efforts for the creation of novel, reliable mechanisms for long-term research on AIDS vaccines and other new prevention technologies," he added.
The phase I clinical trial was started in January 2006 at the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), an ICMR institute in Chennai, and was completed in February 2008.
This trial was conducted under the aegis of a MoU between the central government through ICMR and NACO and IAVI. YRG CARE, based in Chennai, collaborated with TRC to mobilise the community around the phase I trial.
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