UNITED STATES: = "FDA Panel to Consider Pfizer's Second-Line HIV Drug"
ILLINOIS: "Teen Births Down, = STDs Up, Illinois Survey Says"

<= IMG src='http://www.cdcnpin.org/images/prevnews/nav_v1_02.gif' alt='Inte= rnational News' width='300' height='50' border='0'>
SOUTH AFRICA: "Fred Hu= tchinson Cancer Research Center Part of Big Study of HIV Vaccine in South Af= rica"
THAILAND: = "Thailand in Talks on Cheaper AIDS Drugs"
CARIBBEAN: "Awareness of AIDS on Parade: Carniva= l Festivities in Caribbean Will Carry Message of Safe Practices"

VERMONT: "AIDS in the Black Community Discusse= d"
CALIFORNIA: "= New Meth Campaign Seeks Public's Help"

=

TEXAS: "More Lawmakers Ask P= erry to Rescind Order"
AL= ABAMA: "Alabama Health Officials Want HPV Vaccine on Voluntary Basi= s"
LOUISIANA: "L= ouisiana Offering, Not Requiring a Cervical Cancer Vaccine"
ARKANSAS: "Bill Would Require = HIV Tests of Prisoners Before Parole"
CALIFORNIA: "AIDS Healthcare Foundation Bars Pfizer Sa= les Reps from Facilities During Business Hours"

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U= NITED STATES:   "FDA Panel to Consider Pfizer's Second-Li= ne HIV Drug"
Associated Press    (02.08.07):: M= atthew Perrone

On April 24, the Food and Drug Administration= 's antiviral drugs advisory panel will review maraviroc, a new CCR5 antagoni= st candidate made by Pfizer. The agency said Thursday its panel will evaluat= e the twice-daily pill's safety and efficacy data.

CCR5 antagonists = block HIV from entering white blood cells through a pathway found in most pa= tients with the virus. Pfizer will administer the drug along with a test mad= e by Monogram Biosciences Inc. that evaluates whether patients are likely to= respond to the treatment.

Rival drug companies are also developing = second-line HIV drugs, these are typically for use by highly treatment-exper= ienced patients with drug-resistant virus. However, UK-based GlaxoSmithKline= stopped development of its candidate aplaviroc in 2005 after some patients = developed signs of liver damage. At Schering-Plough Corp., mid-stage trials = of a new second-line candidate are continuing, though the company reported s= ome patients developed lymphomas.

Pfizer reports its trials of marav= iroc have gone smoothly so far.

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ILLINOIS:=    "Teen Births Down, STDs Up, Illinois Survey Says" =
St. Louis Post Dispatch (Missouri)    (02.06.07):: = Angie Leventis

According to the Illinois Kids Count 2007 sur= vey, live births to state teens dropped by 11 percent from 1999 to 2004. How= ever, chlamydia and gonorrhea cases increased by more than 30 percent from 2= 000 to 2005. The survey was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The teen births-STDs divergence may be due to new, longer-lasting contrace= ptives such as the three-month Depo-Provera injection, the monthly vaginal r= ing and weekly patches. None of these does anything to prevent STDs, said Br= igid Leahy, vice president of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council. Teens= may not believe oral and anal sex are risky. In addition, they may base the= ir assessment of STD risk on stereotypical beliefs about the "kind of pe= ople" they think are at risk of STDs.

Inconsistent condom use co= uld also be a factor in the divergence, said Marcia McGraw-Houchens, a pedia= tric nurse at East St. Louis High School. "Every time you have sex with = someone with an STD, you have a high risk of contracting it, whereas there's= usually a four- or five-day window for pregnancy," she explained.
The Metro East area of St. Louis is seeing similar trends: teen births dec= lined by 13 percent in St. Clair County, while STDs increased 41 percent, ac= cording to the study. In Madison County, teen births declined 11 percent, wh= ile STDs increased 21 percent. The study focused on chlamydia and gonorrhea,= said Jerry Stermer, president of Voices of Illinois Children, but other STD= s would likely reflect similar increases. The two STDs tend to be the most c= ommon among teens, said McGraw-Houchens.

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SOUTH AFRICA: &n= bsp; "Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Part of Big Study of H= IV Vaccine in South Africa"
Seattle Times    (0= 2.08.07):: Warren King

In South Africa, scientists from Seat= tle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) are co-directing the fi= rst large-scale test of the most promising HIV vaccine to date. The trial, w= hich involves 3,000 participants at five sites, will determine whether the v= accine can prevent HIV infection in some people, and if it can decrease vira= l loads in those who become infected despite being vaccinated. It will also = be the first to assess whether a vaccine is effective against multiple HIV s= trains. The vaccine candidate is made by Merck & Co.

The South Afric= a study is part of the international HIV Vaccine Trials Network, which is he= adquartered at FHCRC. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disea= ses and the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative are financing the study. <= BR>
The vaccine uses an adenovirus, a common cold virus, to carry three H= IV genes into the body. A portion of each gene is common to the six major HI= V strains found worldwide. Researchers hope the candidate will trick the bod= y's immune system into producing killer cells against most strains.

= Scientists will also see whether the adenovirus is a practical vector. If a = person has already been exposed to that particular cold virus, their immune = response to the HIV genes could be somewhat suppressed, researchers said.
Half the participants will randomly receive the vaccine, while the oth= er half will receive a placebo. All study volunteers will be counseled to pr= actice safe sex and otherwise protect themselves against HIV infection. Afte= r four years, the researchers will compare infection rates of the two groups= .

FHCRC's Dr. James Kublin, who is leading the project along with So= weto-based researcher Dr. Glenda Gray, said if the trial goes well, another = one involving 10,000 or more participants could begin in three to five years= .

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THAILAND:   "Thailan= d in Talks on Cheaper AIDS Drugs"
Agence France Presse  &= nbsp; (02.09.07)
Thailand's military-backed government said= today it has begun talks with Abbott Laboratories over the price of Kaletra= . Last week, Thailand issued a "compulsory license" allowing it to i= mport or produce a generic version of the AIDS drug. Abbott has now agreed t= o work with Thailand to lower Kaletra's cost, the ministry of health said.
"Abbott has agreed in principle with the Thai government to make K= aletra more affordable for all Thais," said Suvit Wibulpolprasert, the m= inistry's senior advisor on health economics. "They have not yet agreed = to cut the price, but we are in negotiations over that."

Thailand= 's 2002 decision to begin producing its own generic version of triple-drug c= ombination AIDS therapy resulted in an 18-fold cost reduction. AIDS deaths i= n the nation were down by 75 percent last year.

AIDS advocates said T= hailand could cut the cost of Kaletra from 11,580 baht ($331 US) to 4,000 ba= ht ($114 US) by using a generic.

In November, Thailand decided to all= ow generic versions of Merck & Co.'s efavirenz. Merck agreed to cut its pric= e from 1,300 baht ($38.69 US) to 880 baht ($26.19 US); Thailand is importing= the Indian version for 650 baht ($19.34 US), said Suvit.

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CARIBBEAN:   "Awareness of AIDS on Par= ade: Carnival Festivities in Caribbean Will Carry Message of Safe Practices&= #34;
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)   &nbs= p;(02.04.07):: Tim Collie

When South Floridians of Caribbean= heritage travel to the islands for Carnival celebrations this month, activi= sts in the region are hoping they will help build AIDS awareness.

&#= 34;It's an important time for them to reinforce the need for safe practices,= " said Dr. Karen Sealy, director of the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Suppor= t Team. "They also can have a very vital role in breaking through the st= igma that's still a problem in our countries. They're exposed to more. They = can be important educators for their families and friends." Sealy spoke = last month at a conference of Caribbean journalists from media organizations= that have pledged to intensify HIV/AIDS programming over the next year.
=
During Carnival, AIDS awareness groups will use songs, dances, and parad= e floats to spread the safe-sex message. Condoms will be widely distributed = for free.

The Caribbean has the highest HIV/AIDS rate outside sub-Sah= aran Africa, with young people, especially young women, the fastest-growing = segment of new cases. Sealy and other experts said infections in the region = could either plummet or climb dramatically. Infection rates have fallen in H= aiti and other countries, but the overall rate is still roughly 2 percent, t= he same rate Africa had just over a decade ago before a sharp increase.
<= BR>Last year, some 19,000 people in the Caribbean region died of AIDS; some = 27,000 others became newly infected. "We are facing some very chilling n= umbers that indicate the very future of the Caribbean is at stake," said= Dr. Amery Browne of the Trinidad National AIDS Coordinating Committee.
<= BR>These days, more young people in the islands are getting safe-sex message= s in schools and on teen-oriented TV channels such as MTV and BET, which are= available throughout the region.

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SWITZERLAND:   "Sur= veillance Systems for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Switzerland"
= Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 2: P. 76-80   &nb= sp;(02..07):: Marcel Zwahlen, PhD; Adrian Spoerri, MSc; Martin Gebhardt PhD,= MPH; Mirjam Mausezahl, MD, MPH; Karim Boubaker, MD; Nicola Low, MD, MFPH
In the current study, the researchers sought to compare time t= rends from Switzerland's three different STD surveillance systems for chlamy= dia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

Surveillance data from laboratory repor= ts in women and men, men attending dermatology clinics and women attending g= ynecologists were analyzed.

From 1997 to 2003, laboratory reports of= cases of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae increased by 31 pe= rcent (from 2,573 to 3,449) and 104 percent (from 259 to 528), respectively.= During that same period, chlamydia reports from men attending dermatology c= linics and women attending gynecologists did not change, while reports of go= norrhea in men attending dermatology clinics increased just slightly. Dermat= ology clinic reports of syphilis increased 127 percent (from 22 to 50).
=
"Increases in laboratory reports of chlamydia and gonorrhea were not= consistently detected in sentinel populations. Numbers of cases reported to= all three systems were low," the authors concluded. "The performanc= e of surveillance systems for sexually transmitted infections should be eval= uated regularly."

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VERMONT:   "AIDS in the= Black Community Discussed"
Burlington Free Press   =  (02.08.07):: Lauren Ober

On Wednesday, National Black = HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the IMANI Health Institute in Burlington hosted an e= vent to encourage people of color to learn about AIDS and get tested for HIV= . IMANI serves some 44 minority clients living with HIV/AIDS, providing case= management, counseling and support groups, and anonymous HIV testing.
<= BR>Many of those attending the event were Somali Bantus. Also taking part we= re Sharon Moffat, acting commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, a= nd Lajiri Van Ness-Otunnu, an AmericCorps volunteer with the Community and E= conomic Development Office.

In Vermont, people of color make up less= than three percent of the population, though they represent 12-14 percent o= f new HIV infections, said IMANI Executive Director Allen Robinson.

= Deb Kutzko, nurse practitioner coordinator at the Comprehensive Care Clinic = at Fletcher Allen Health Care, told the crowd that many people in the region= do not consider themselves at risk for HIV/AIDS. "We don't see HIV as a= problem in this state," said Kutzko. "It's not part of our consciou= sness." CCC works closely with the Women of Color Alliance to conduct HI= V/AIDS outreach to minority communities in the area.

Robinson said f= ear and denial prevent many minorities from confronting the issues around HI= V/AIDS, but the population he works with is becoming more willing to discuss= prevention, testing, and treatment. "I've been doing this work for 10 y= ears and I've seen people become more and more comfortable with sharing info= rmation. You have to develop a rapport with individuals and then they feel c= omfortable coming back."

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CALIFORNIA:&= nbsp;  "New Meth Campaign Seeks Public's Help"
Bay Ar= ea Reporter (San Francisco)    (02.01.07):: Matthew S. B= ajko

A billboard in the historically gay Castro neighborhood= is soliciting the community's ideas for a San Francisco Department of Publi= c Health (SFDPH) anti-crystal methamphetamine campaign. The campaign, which = also includes newspaper ads and the Web site www.sfmeth.org, debuted Feb. 1 = and will run all month.

SFDPH's interim HIV prevention director, Trac= ey Parker, said she is interested in community-generated ideas "because = the issue of meth in a campaign is not simple and straightforward." Park= er and Les Pappas, owner of Better World Advertising - the firm behind some = previous social marketing HIV prevention campaigns - denied the new campaig= n is a response to critics' claims their messages were out of touch with the= community.

"It begs the question if we have had a [meth] task fo= rce operating for two years why would we pay for a billboard that makes it s= eem we have no ideas or suggestions," said city Sup. Bevan Dufty. As a b= udget committee member, Dufty said he would lodge a complaint with Parker th= at he considers the $15,000 billboard ad a waste of money. Dufty also questi= oned why SFDPH has not planned a search for the prevention office's permanen= t successor to Director Steven Tierney, who stepped down December 2005.
<= BR>"The incentive is to help your community," said Pappas. "Real= ly, the thinking here is about ideas and opinions. We are not expecting some= body to design or create a campaign; we are just expecting them to share the= ir thoughts."

Packer said she and Pappas will bring the community= feedback to the mayor's task force and collaborate with its members on the = campaign, which launches this summer.

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TEXAS:   "More Lawm= akers Ask Perry to Rescind Order"
Associated Press   = ; (02.09.07)
Gov. Rick Perry's executive order requiring th= at all Texas girls be vaccinated against human papillomavirus before sixth g= rade continues to draw fire. Two days after all but five state senators wrot= e to ask Perry to rescind his order, 32 state representatives sent a letter = making the same request. "While philosophic differences will dictate whe= re our beliefs fall, no Texan would willfully abdicate their voice in the Le= gislature to a single office of their government," the representatives w= rote. So far, four bills have been filed that aim to override Perry's decisi= on. Issued last Friday, Perry's order takes effect in September 2008. Parent= s who wish to opt their daughters out of the program will have to file an af= fidavit detailing their religious or philosophical objections.

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ALABAMA:   "Alabama Health Offici= als Want HPV Vaccine on Voluntary Basis"
Associated Press &nbs= p;  (02.07.07):: Desiree Hunter

State Health Offic= er Don Williamson said Wednesday he plans to ask legislators for $4 million = to provide adolescent girls and young women with the vaccine against human p= apillomavirus. Under his proposal, Gardasil, which protects against strains = of the STD that cause most cases of cervical cancer, would be available to f= emales ages 11-19 who do not qualify for the federal Vaccines for Children p= rogram, are uninsured, or otherwise cannot access it. Williamson stressed th= e immunizations would be voluntary. "As long as it's a voluntary vaccine= , we don't anticipate having any problems," he said. The $4 million woul= d allow the department to vaccinate at least 10,000 females annually, he sai= d, adding he hopes to get the funding for the budget year that starts Oct. 1= and have Gardasil available in the fall.

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LOUISIANA:   "Louisiana Offering, Not Requiring a Cervic= al Cancer Vaccine"
Associated Press    (02.07.0= 7)
A Louisiana health official said Tuesday the state will work = to provide access to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil but wil= l not mandate its use. The state's free vaccine program will allow girls age= s 13-18 from low-income families to receive the vaccine, said Dr. Erin Brewe= r, assistant state health officer. The US government recommends Gardasil for= girls ages 11-12 before sexual debut, and the three-series vaccine is appro= ved for females ages 9-26. By ordering 29,040 doses, the state negotiated a = discount of Merck's vaccine from about $120 per dose to $96.75, said Brewer.= Another 19,300 doses are on back order, she said.

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ARKANSAS:   "Bill Would Require HIV Tests of Pr= isoners Before Parole"
Associated Press    (02.= 09.07)
Under legislation introduced in the state House Thursday,= inmates in Arkansas would have to undergo HIV and STD testing, and if neces= sary, treatment, before being paroled. Rep. Fred Allen (D-North Little Rock)= proposed the measure. The state's population of 14,000 inmates normally inc= ludes about 100 who are HIV-positive and 25 to 30 who have been diagnosed wi= th AIDS, said Dina Tyler, spokesperson for the Department of Corrections. He= patitis testing is required at intake; though HIV tests are voluntary, "= everyone takes one," she said. Corrections officials are evaluating the = potential costs of the additional testing.

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CALIFORNIA:   "AIDS Healthcare Foundation Bars Pfizer S= ales Reps from Facilities During Business Hours"
Associated Press&n= bsp;   (02.08.07)
The Los Angeles-based AIDS Heal= thcare Foundation has banned Pfizer Inc. sales reps from its 13 heath care c= enters during business hours. The move is AHF's latest step in its dispute w= ith the pharmaceutical company. AHF says Pfizer irresponsibly markets its dr= ug Viagra for recreational use; it filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer = in January. A statement from AHF said, "There has been no recognition by= your organization of the documented correlation between Viagra and the rece= nt rise in [STDs] and HIV in men who have sex with men." Pfizer called t= he decision "unfortunate" and said, "The reality is Pfizer sales= representatives provide very valuable and important information about medic= al conditions and Pfizer medicines designed to treated these conditions. As = a result, we believe this decision may negatively impact patients receiving = care at local AHF clinics."

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