Avac Event

2015 Update on the Rectal Microbicide Pipeline: New Agents, New Formulations

The field has spent several intense years studying tenofovir gel as a rectal microbicide, and we all look forward to the results (due early 2016) of the world’s first Phase II rectal microbicide trial MTN 017 which tested a reduced glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel.

But there is a lot more going on than tenofovir gel!

In this webinar, hosted by IRMA and AVAC, we looked at new rectal agents in development, including the antiretroviral drug Dapivirine and Griffithsin, a potent, anti-HIV protein derived from red algae. We also discussed plans for developing new microbicide formulations like rectal douches.

Avac Event

New Frontiers in HIV Prevention, Treatment and Cure: An advocate’s webinar on passive immunization

This webinar focused on “passive immunization”—a scientific term for an expanding area of research that’s highly relevant to treatment, prevention and cure work. There are trials in humans happening in many regions of the world—and data are beginning to come in that advocates need to understand, analyze and consider.

The webinar featured Dr. Sarah Schlesinger (Rockefeller University) who provided an overview of recent developments across the field including new published data.

Dr. Schlesinger’s slides are below as well slides presented by AVAC’s Executive Director, Mitchell Warren, with passive immunization information featured in an issue of Px Wire.

Avac Event

PrEP Summit: A Skills Building Conference for Frontline Workers

Registration for the PrEP Summit: A Skills Building Conference for Frontline Workers is free and is open to all frontline workers in the New York City metro area. Join us on Wednesday, May 27th from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM to learn from leading experts about how to increase your skills in integrating PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) into your services. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all registered participants. A certificate of attendance will be given at the end of the summit.

The goal of the PrEP Summit: A Skills Building Conference for Frontline Workers was to increase PrEP and PEP awareness and knowledge among frontline HIV prevention workers who serve high-risk populations such as MSM (including young MSM), transgender women, Black and Latino men and women in New York City. PrEP and PEP, in combination with interactive client-centered counseling, can be highly effective tools for HIV prevention. Attendees of the summit increased their understanding of PrEP and PEP use and current research and learned to implement methods to integrate PrEP and PEP information into existing HIV testing and outreach programs.

Avac Event

GHTC Product, Research and Development Webinar

To achieve the ambitious goal of health and well-being for all, the world needs better and more accessible medicines and health technologies. However, incentivizing R&D for new tools to combat diseases primarily impacting the world’s poorest and ensuring these tools can be made available at affordable prices remains a persistent challenge for the global community.

How best to tackle this challenge and increase the development of and access to affordable, practical technologies for diseases impacting low- and middle-income nations is a hotly debated issue among global health advocates and economists. The World Health Organization is expected to revisit these issues at the 2016 World Health Assembly as member states consider proposals which could include the introduction of new mechanisms for funding R&D and approaches to technology transfer, patents, and licensing.

GHTC and COHRED discussed in a webinar approaches to achieving access to new products, and how those approaches can impact the R&D process. The discussion included multiple perspectives on the topic and a Q&A with the panelists..

Avac Event

Vaccines in Vivo: Advances in AIDS Vaccine Research

On May 18, advocates around the world observed HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD)—an annual commemoration of the need for and commitment to the ongoing search for a vaccine. AVAC convened a webinar—Vaccines in Vivo: Advances in AIDS Vaccine Research—and updated a number of materials, including our “HVAD Toolkit” for those interested in easy-to-digest research updates.

This year brought the launch of long-awaited initiation of clinical trials building on positive results from the RV144 “Thai” trial. This effort is led by the Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership (P5), including the the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, who joined the webinar to provide a status update of their current vaccine research and development program. We also featured Janssen, part of Johnson & Johnson, to provide an overview of the research program they are moving forward that focuses on a cross-clade vaccine product.

In this webinar we discussed:

  • When and where the P5 trials are taking place?
  • What questions will be asked in the P5 “licensure track” trials—designed to bring a product to market, and what will the “research” track address? [Click here for AVAC’s explanation of the dual tracks.]
  • The pipeline beyond the P5 trials—including the candidate Janssen is developing
  • The role for advocates in southern Africa and around the world in terms of keeping AIDS vaccine research on track

Avac Event

Hormonal Contraception and HIV: Understanding the Evidence

A special presentation and discussion of new research on the relationship between hormonal contraception and HIV was hosted by CHANGE (Center for Health and Gender Equity). This interactive webinar brought together researchers, policy experts and advocates to discuss applications for this research in ensuring that all women and girls have access to the most effective family planning, reproductive health and HIV prevention information and services.

See presentation slides:

Avac Event

Vaccine-O-Licious

Join Project ACHIEVE, Ballroom Throwbacks, Impulse Group NYC, AVAC, and Columbia University Medical Center on Monday, May 18th for the 11th annual Vaccine-O-Licious – #VOL2015 with a special Q&A and Meet and Greet with the cast from Triangle Web Series.

Get your free tickets here

Vaccine-O-Licious is an annual event designed to spread the word about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.The event brought together a variety of performers uniting through dance and song.Peppermint hosted this exciting evening of entertainment, with a little education too!

Address: Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10013

Doors Open: 6:30 PM

Special Q&A with the cast of Triangle Web Series at 7 PM

Show Time: 7:30 PM

Avac Event

CUREiculum Webinar: Measuring the HIV Reservoir

One of the major barriers to finding a cure for HIV is the ability to count how much latent virus persists inside the cells of a person living with HIV who is on effective treatment. Drs. Janet and Robert Siliciano shared the current challenges & strategies to measuring the latent HIV reservoir.

Avac Event

Breaking Regulatory Barriers for Greater Female Condom Access

A variety of safe and effective female condoms currently exist. However, regulatory hurdles limit new products from entering consumer markets. With the pipeline of new receptive-partner initiated condoms growing, advocates must understand how regulatory issues determine product introduction and approval in their country.

Join the National Female Condom Coalition June 3 at 11:00am EST to learn about:

  • Receptive partner-initiated condoms in development
  • Link between regulatory environment and female condom access
  • Current regulatory issues and obstacles
  • Unique advocacy opportunity to break barriers to existing female condoms and pave the way for emerging internal condoms

Panelists will include:

  • Mags Beksinska, Director, MatCH Research
  • Coco Jervis, Program Director, National Women’s Health Network
  • Jessica Terlikowski, Director of Prevention Technology Education, AIDS Foundation of Chicago & National Female Condom Coalition

Avac Event

HIV 2015: Using Phylogenetics to Enhance the HIV Response

Rapid advances in molecular genetics and bio-informatics allow more and better data on the phylogeny of HIV to be collected. The genetic diversity among HIV strains within individual patients, communities and globally allows the dynamics of transmission and evolution of the virus to be studied in ever greater detail. The implications for drug resistance, vaccine development, transmission networks and evaluation of prevention interventions are beginning to be understood. The challenge is to translate the new science into more effective ways to prioritize the HIV response and to monitor the impact of different intervention approaches. This meeting brought together scientists, policy makers, and international organizations dedicated to advancing our scientific knowledge of HIV and translating that information into the most effective programs for reducing transmission of the virus.

A list of speakers can be found here

The event will also be broadcast as a webinar