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Ancora Pharmaceuticals Awarded National Institute Of Health Grant For Continued Malaria Vaccine Research
With exciting pre-clinical results showing that its carbohydrate-based vaccine can combat cerebral malaria (CM), which causes inflammation of the brain, Ancora Pharmaceuticals has received another grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to research whether its vaccine candidate will also prevent severe malaria anemia (SMA).
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1957-58 Flu Pandemic Can Provide Clues To Planning For H1N1
As the U.S. prepares for a resurgence of H1N1 influenza this fall, much can be learned from looking at a previous pandemic that had similar patterns. In an article published today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) examined historical documents, published material, and newspaper coverage related to the 1957-58 influenza pandemic to compare the progress and severity of that outbreak with the current one. The simple, practical actions taken in 1957 allowed the country to continue functioning with minimal disruption.
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Majority Of HIV-Positive Pregnant Women In Developing World Lack Access To PMTCT Services, Report Says
Two-thirds of HIV-positive pregnant women in the developing world do not have access to treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, which could lead to 370,000 new HIV cases annually among infants, according to a study released Thursday by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Bloomberg reports (Chase, Bloomberg, 5/21). Of the 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women each year in the developing world, about one-third receive any kind of drug therapy at all, the report said, adding that most of the treatment is inadequate and fails to prevent MTCT. According to the report, eight years after world governments pledged to cut the number HIV cases among infants in half by 2010, only about 8% of pregnant women in developing countries are receiving the complete triple-dose combination therapy widely used in wealthy nations (York, Globe and Mail, 5/22). The report cited poor government and donor coordination, as well as funding gaps, as the main reasons many women do not obtain the treatment, Stephen Lewis, founder of AIDS-Free World and a co-author of the report, said (Bloomberg, 5/21). According to the report, there is a "shocking lack of consistency and coordination" between governments and agencies, and about 18% of pregnant women worldwide were offered HIV tests in 2007. In addition, there is an acute shortage of prevention and counseling services for women, the report said. It added that one of the largest issues is a lack of counseling on infant feeding, as most women are not properly counseled and advice sometimes can lead to a bias toward using formula over breastfeeding. Lewis also criticized United Nations health agencies for claims that an increasing number of pregnant women in developing countries are gaining treatment access. He added that the large majority of such women do not have access to the complete triple-dose treatment. "It makes the access a simple mockery," Lewis said.The report found that in 61 countries -- such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria -- more than three-quarters of HIV-positive pregnant women do not receive any drug treatment for PMTCT. It said that the world is tolerating a "shameful example of double standards" because MTCT has been virtually eliminated in wealthy nations, where most HIV-positive pregnant women have access to the complete drug regimen (Globe and Mail, 5/22).According to Bloomberg, most HIV-positive pregnant women who do have access to prevention services in developing countries receive nevirapine for PMTCT, which is 40% effective at reducing transmission. Nevirapine can so lead to drug-resistant strains of HIV from developing, Bloomberg reports. Boehringer Ingelheim, which manufactures nevirapine, provides the drug at no-cost to pregnant HIV-positive women in developing countries, according to Bloomberg. According to CDC, the availability of PMTCT services in the U.S. has reduced the number of HIV cases in infants by more than 90%.Officials from UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and 20 international groups are expected to meet this week in Nairobi, Kenya, to launch a campaign aimed at improving access to PMTCT services, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe said. Gregg Gonsalves, head of ITPC, said, "For millions of women, maternal and child health is about HIV/AIDS and we have failed them" (Bloomberg, 5/21). He added, "Our failure to prevent HIV transmission to babies is truly a failure to prevent disease progression in women living with HIV. If we treat mothers properly, if we treat women properly for their own health, we would have few or no HIV infections in babies" (VOA News, 5/21). Sidibe said, "There has been some progress" in PMTCT services, but added, "Overall coverage is still very low for this proven, inexpensive and effective intervention." Sidibe said that UNAIDS "agree[s] with the report that the combination of stigma, fragmented health services, inadequate knowledge within the community and insufficient political leadership are root causes of low coverage" (Bloomberg, 5/21). UNAIDS also has called for the
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Office Of The National Alzheimer's Project Act Will Produce A National Strategic Plan For Alzheimer's Research, Care, And Related Supportive Services

U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced a measure to create a collaborated system for researching, treating and eliminating Alzheimer"s disease. The proposal will create an Office of the National Alzheimer"s Project within the White House, and will coordinate all research, clinical care and service toward the prevention, care, and cure of Alzheimer"s. This office will produce a national strategic plan to help assure that the millions of Americans who now have Alzheimer"s and the millions of potentially at-risk Americans will have a coordinated effort to target the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. "Our nation"s current health care system is unprepared to meet the needs of the growing number of Alzheimer"s patients. As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age and the prevalence of this disease increases, innovative drugs and treatments are desperately needed to manage and slow this disease," said Martinez, lead Republican of the Senate"s Special Committee on Aging. "This new office will coordinate all care and research efforts in fighting this progressive, disabling disease of the mind and body. By assisting patients and their family members, many governmental and non-governmental agencies studying the causes, effects, and clinical and service needs of Alzheimer"s will be able to combine their best practices of care for those afflicted with the disease and hopefully one day provide a cure." Sen. Evan Bayh, a member of the Special Committee on Aging, said, "Alzheimer"s causes a tremendous emotional strain to the families caring for patients, and a financial strain on our nation"s already stressed health care system. With the number of Alzheimer"s patients on the rise and the federal government spending an estimated one hundred billion dollars on their care this year, we must increase our efforts to detect and combat this disease. Establishing the Office of the National Alzheimer"s Project in the White House will accelerate the development of cutting edge medical treatments to fight Alzheimer"s and improve patient care for the 5.3 million Americans and their families who bravely confront this disease every day." Studies show that almost half of all Americans who reach age 85 and beyond will be afflicted with Alzheimer"s. The Office of the National Alzheimer"s Project"s director will be appointed to the Domestic Policy Council and the Office of Science and Technology and will have input in all realms relating to this devastating disease. The office will also ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations at higher risk for Alzheimer"s or least likely to receive care in clinical, research, and access to facilities diagnosing and treating Alzheimer"s. The Office of the National Alzheimer"s Project act has received the Alzheimer"s Associations full support. Joining Senators Martinez and Bayh in this effort, are Senators Collins (R-ME), Bennet (D-CO), Feingold (D-WI), and Tester (D-MT). The Office of Senator Mel Martinez


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