Health leaders around the world are in the midst of creating a new architecture to deal with pandemics. In this episode of Px Pulse, Chris Collins, the CEO and President at Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, talks about what’s at stake, which policy-makers get it already, why this year matters so much, and what advocates can do about it.
The Shape of Pandemic Preparedness is Being Decided. Now is the Time for Collective Action.
Avac Event
Global PPPR Equity: Why do we need agreements on IP and tech transfers?
April 6, 2023, 9:00AM Washington/2:00PM London/4:00PM Nairobi
Over the past two decades, HIV advocates have engaged in hard battles for equitable access to HIV/AIDS drugs and prevention options and have had some big wins. The process of these negotiations has led to strong relationships that have enshrined certain equity provisions as standard in clinical trials and manufacturing of HIV drugs. Through these battles, we’ve learned clear lessons on the necessity for such agreements and what’s required to secure them.
Throughout global PPPR agreements in 2023, governments and advocates in the Global South are asking for provisions on equity in the form of temporary IP waivers, mandatory tech transfer, and mandatory licensing for pandemic tools.
This panel will discuss lessons from the HIV epidemic and explore why governments of the Global South and advocates think we still need to address ‘the IP question’.
Featured Speakers: Fifa Rahman, Brook Baker, Fitsum Lakew, and moderated by Samantha Rick, AVAC
Avac Event
PrEP That Booty: The latest on rectal microbicide research for the back door
Thursday, June 29 at 9:00 AM–10:30AM ET
Most of what we hear about regarding the HIV prevention pipeline is about long-acting, longer-acting, and even longer-acting products that deliver drug throughout the body and require a trained clinician to deliver. However, these attributes are not desirable to many folks, and communities want a range of choices. Researchers and advocates for years have been working on HIV prevention products specifically for the back door (rectum) to provide protection during anal intercourse. These products are user-controlled, non-systemic (the drug stays in the booty and only the booty), and are short-acting, so you don’t have to commit to having a prevention drug in your body for a year or longer. Join us for a dynamic discussion regarding the latest research on Booty PrEP – aka rectal microbicides – with our multi-talented panel.
Speakers include: Jonathan Baker, PA, Laser Surgery Care, Dr. Craig Hendrix, Johns Hopkins, Juan Michael Porter II, The Body, and Dr. Sharon Riddler, University of Pittsburgh
Avac Event
HIV Prevention Plus Plus: Developing Options that Meet the Full Range of our Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs
Tuesday, April 25 at 9:00 AM–10:30AM ET
Despite a dynamic research and development (R&D) pipeline for prevention products, male and female condoms remain the only multi-purpose prevention technologies (MPTs) currently available. Yet MPTs are an integral part of the HIV prevention advocacy agenda. For decades, advocates have pushed for products to be developed that simultaneously prevent HIV, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and/or pregnancy.
With a growing number of PrEP options already, what will it take to bring a new MPT to market? A Dual Prevention Pill (DPP – https://www.prepwatch.org/products/dual-prevention-pill/) that prevents both HIV and pregnancy could be just two years away. Looking further upstream, there are over 25 other MPTs in the pipeline (https://www.prepwatch.org/research-pipeline/), including vaginal rings, which would follow in the footsteps of the dapivirine vaginal ring recommended by WHO and recently approved in several countries.
Within this fast-evolving HIV prevention landscape, work is already underway to build a platform to introduce the DPP, which could speed up the rollout of other MPTs. Join us to hear what we’ve learned so far on R&D, marketing, counseling and delivery for MPTs – and to discuss what we can do now to prepare prevention markets to include new MPT options.
Featured Speakers:
Ruth Akulu, ICWEA, AVAC fellow
Barbara Friedland, Population Council
Gregorio Millet, amfAR
Dr. Thesla Palanee-Phillips, Wits RHI
Danielle Resar, Clinton Health Access Initiative
Co-moderators: Wawira Nyagah, AVAC Kate Segal, AVAC
This webinar is a part of The Choice Agenda.
Mpox – Sexual Networks, HIV and Activism
Efficacy is Not the Only HIV Prevention Attribute that Matters – Lessons from Contraception
CROI and Community and YOU – Preparing for CROI 2023
Status Updates on Ongoing and Planned HIV Prevention Trials
The world is grappling with the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the HIV prevention field is no different. Most trials investigating new biomedical HIV prevention products have paused, citing concerns for the safety of trial participants and the study teams.
How COVID-19 is impacting research varies by trial and site, and efforts are ongoing to minimize impact on trial timelines and data. AVAC will continue to monitor developments—watch this space.
Ongoing Studies for the Treatment and Prevention of the COVID-19 Virus
This table is a work in progress, as this is an incredibly dynamic landscape. Over the past month, the scientific community has accelerated development of COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and a potential vaccine. This document also links to a number of resources available to track these developments.
In addition, a collaborative project of the COVID-19 Working Group NY, the PrEP4All Collaboration and Treatment Action Group offers concise overviews and analyses of key research areas.
AIDS Vaccines by the Numbers: Trials, discoveries, money and more
We know that an AIDS vaccine is possible and that a vaccine will be an important part of a long-term strategy to end the AIDS epidemic. The road ahead is long, but clinical trials—even those with disappointing results—and early-stage research provide critical clues to the way forward. The graphics below represent key facts about the AIDS vaccine field.