Avac Event

Treatment as Prevention: Evidence from Europe and beyond

This was the third webinar in our series addressing a range of topics in HIV prevention research, hosted jointly by NAM and AVAC. We were joined by an expert panel discussing treatment as prevention, who took questions following their presentations. To view the full Flash animation of the webinar, click here.

Avac Event

Global Investments in HIV Treatment Research & Development in 2010 and 2011

The Treatment Action Group (TAG) and AVAC recently released their latest report, Funding Scientific Innovation: Global Investments in HIV Treatment Research and Development in 2010 and 2011. The report, supported by UNAIDS, found US$2.6 billion was invested in HIV treatment research and development (R&D) in 2011.

The investments tracked between 2009 and 2011 demonstrate a steady—albeit small—increase in funding. Inflation and flatlining of public-sector budgets now put HIV treatment discovery in jeopardy, and there is concern that investment will decline further with the impact of sequestration—the automatic across-the-board spending cuts to US government spending that began March 1.

Click here to download the report.

This interactive webinar with funders and advocates around the globe explores the major findings in this report and discusses the implications of possible declining investments in HIV treatment R&D.

A recording has been made available on the TAG website .

Avac Event

VOICE Trial Results and Implications for Future Research

Results from the three-arm HIV prevention trial VOICE – Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic – were recently presented at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. The data showed that none of three interventions tested—daily oral tenofovir, daily oral TDF/FTC (Truvada), and daily 1% vaginal tenofovir gel—provided additional protection against HIV in this study, likely because few of the women in the trial used the products as directed.

This global advocates’ webinar included a presentation of the data from VOICE co-principal investigator Jeanne Marrazzo followed by a moderated discussion, which included clarifying questions around the trial itself as well as discussion of the implications these results have for ongoing and planned HIV prevention research and implementation.

Avac Event

Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

The 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) is a meeting of the world’s leading researchers working to understand, prevent, and treat HIV/AIDS and its complications. The goal of CROI is to provide a forum for translating laboratory and clinical research into progress against the AIDS epidemic.

FOLLOW THE DATA

  • Session Webcasts: Visit the conference website for recordings of each session.
  • Daily Research Updates: NAM/AIDSMAP will be reporting on research presented at the conference sending out summary bulletins by e-mail.

HIV PREVENTION RESEARCH & IMPLEMENTATION-RELATED SESSIONS

  • New Investigators and Trainees Workshop; B406, Sunday, 9am–1:30pm
  • Martin Delaney Lecture, The Challenge of marginalization in the fight against HIV and the resiliency of individuals and communities; B406, Sunday, 12:45-1:30pm
  • Remarks from the Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Bernard Fields Lecture, ARV Drug Discovery: HIV-1 integrase inhibitors and beyond; N’Galy-Mann Lecture, MTCT: From epidemic to elimination; Hall B1, Sunday, 5-7pm
  • HIV-1 Eradication Strategies: Design, assessment, and clinical consequences; Hall B1, Monday, 8:30-9am
  • Reality Check: Is the End of AIDS in Sight?; Hall B1, Monday, 9-9:30am
  • HIV Prevention: ARV, Counseling, Contraception, and Condoms; Ballroom 3-4, Monday, 10am-12:15pm
  • Implementation and Cost-Effectiveness of Male Circumcision; B313, Monday, 1:30-2:30pm
  • Preventing HIV/AIDS in the US: Can we do better?; Ballroom 3-4, Monday, 4-6pm
  • The Global MSM HIV Epidemic: Time to act; Hall B1, Tuesday, 8:30-9am
  • MSM in the Developing World; B308, Tuesday, 1:30-2:30pm
  • Family Planning: Unintended pregnancy and unmet need; B313, Tuesday, 1:30-2:30pm
  • Reproductive Hormones and HIV; Ballroom 3-4, Tuesday, 4-6pm
  • When Worlds Collide—Adolescents and HIV; Ballroom 1-2, Tuesday 4-6pm
  • Opportunities and Threats to ART Success; Hall B1, Tuesday 4-6pm
  • New Discoveries in Vaccines and Gene Therapy; B402, Wednesday 10-11:45am
  • Progress in Deciphering HIV Protective Immunity; B406, Wednesday, 4-6pm

ADDITIONAL EVENTS OF INTEREST

  • Sex and Gender Differences in ARV-based Prevention Research; Sunday, March 3, 9-1pm; Omni Hotel at CNN Center, International Ballrom D
  • WHO Satellite: Evidence to support potential new WHO recommendations on the use of ARVs for HIV treatment and prevention; Sunday, March 3, 1:30–3 pm; Omni Hotel at CNN Center, International ABC, 2nd Floor
  • A Community Conversation on ARV-Based HIV Prevention, Monday, March 4, 6:30–8:30 pm; The Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland St. NE; flyer, agenda
  • Advocates’ Lunchtime Discussion; Tuesday, March 5, 12:45pm near the windows across from room B313
  • Paul Semugoma and Chris Beyrer will discuss their presentations and the challenges and opportunities of working with MSM populations around the world, especially in light of new interventions around HIV treatment and prevention. Dr Semugoma presented on Sunday on The Challenge of marginalization in the fight against HIV and the resiliency of individuals and communities, and Dr Beyrer will present the Tuesday plenary on The Global MSM HIV Epidemic: Time to act and is a discussant on the 1:30pm session on MSM in the Developing World.
  • PrEP & Women: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding & Implementation, Perinatal HIV Hotline 5th Annual CROI lunch discussion; Bldg B, level 4 seating area near Outtakes deli at conference center, Wednesday, noon-1pm – RSVP to be included in a light lunch.

Avac Event

NAM-AVAC Microbicides Webinar

This 90-minute webinar examined the current state of research into topical microbicides – gels, lubes and devices that can be used to prevent HIV transmission during sex. It provided advocates with an overview of global and European topical microbicide research. The presentations were followed by a question and answer session with our expert speakers.

The discussion was moderated by Gus Cairns. He is a writer at NAM, where he edits HIV treatment update and Preventing HIV. He also edits the HIV prevention news: Europe bulletin as part of NAM’s programme of European prevention advocacy. He is a member of the European AIDS Treatment Group, co-chair of the Steering Committee of the PROUD PrEP trial, and a member of the steering committee of the Global Forum for MSM and HIV.

Presenters:

  • Dr Sheena McCormack – Overview of topical microbicide research.

    McCormack is Senior Clinical Scientist at the Clinical Trials Unit of the UK Medical Research Council. She is Principal Investigator of the Microbicides Development Programme, which ran the MDP 301 Phase III microbicide trial in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and of the recently started PROUD trial of Truvada pre-exposure prophylaxis in UK gay men.

  • Dr Charles Kelly – News from the CHAARM microbicides research consortium

    Kelly, of King’s College London, is co-ordinator of the Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM) programme, a collaborative project co-funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development. CHAARM is a consortium of 31 partners representing 9 different countries in Europe including Ukraine, as well as South Africa and the US, with a €12m budget.

  • Jeremy Nuttall – Update on IPM’s pipeline: the dapivirine ring and beyond

    Nuttall is the Senior Director of Preclinical Sciences and Product Development for the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), where he is responsible for the preclinical testing of candidate microbicides and has broader product development responsibilities. Jeremy joined IPM in 2003 and has over 25 years of experience in drug development. Prior to IPM he worked as a toxicologist in contract research organisations and spent over 8 years in regulatory affairs at GlaxoSmithKline.

  • Harriet Langanke – Community advocacy for microbicides in Europe

    Langanke is founder and director of GSSG: Gemeinnützige Stiftung Sexualität und Gesundheit, the German Foundation on sexuality and health. She is a journalist who has worked in the field of HIV and sexual health since 1991; she is also one of the co-founders of Germany’s national network Women and AIDS which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. As an expert for HIV and STI prevention she works primarily for and with women.

Avac Event

European Contributions to the Search for an HIV Vaccine

This 90-minute webinar, moderated by Rebekah Webb, provided advocates with an overview of European efforts to develop an HIV vaccine through national and EU-funded programmes. The presentations were followed by a question and answer session with the expert speakers.

Avac Event

Beyond Daily Oral TDF/FTC as PrEP: Exploring new drugs and regimens for PrEP

PrEP researchers discussed ongoing trials of new oral PrEP interventions, including non-daily regimens (also described as “intermittent PrEP”) and new drugs such as maraviroc.

Principal investigators Bob Grant (ADAPT), Ken Mayer (NEXT-PrEP), Sheena McCormack (PROUD) and Jean-Michel Molina (ANRS Ipergay) joined the call. Their trials all seek to answer questions about strategies other than daily oral TDF/FTC and will provide important information on potential “second generation” oral PrEP.

Avac Event

United States Conference on AIDS

The United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) is set for September 30 – October 3, 2012 at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. For nearly two decades, USCA has sought “to increase the strength and diversity of the community-based response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through education, training, new partnerships, collaboration and networking. This year, USCA will work to highlight the changes in our movement that have brought us closer than ever to ending the epidemic, and ways that we can move forward as a community to make this dream a reality.

To accomplish this, NMAC and its program partners are adjusting the format of this year’s conference to ensure that attendees get the most out of their experience. Day-long institutes, historically held on the first day of the conference, will be replaced by the first ever Summit to End the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in America. And in order to make the agenda more flexible, seminars will be held each day of the conference and the length of workshop and roundtable sessions will be shortened so that attendees can maximize their learning experience.

USCA Presentation: PrEP can protect women and men against HIV! What do we need to know and do so we can translate results into public health impact?

Avac Event

New Guidance on Daily Oral PrEP: What’s out there and what does it mean for advocates?

Representatives from the US Food and Drug Administration, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, the British HIV Association and the British Association for Sexual Health and Gilead Sciences will discuss various guidelines on the use of and FDA approval of daily TDF/FTC as PrEP.

This webinar will familiarize advocates with the types of regulatory and normative guidance documents that exist on PrEP—what they say, who they affect and what they may mean for policy and programming in various countries.

Avac Event

AIDS Vaccine 2012

AIDS Vaccine is the largest global scientific conference focused exclusively on AIDS vaccine research. Hosted annually by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and local partners, AIDS Vaccine brings together the scientific minds to exchange the latest research findings, explore new ideas, educate future leaders and engage a diverse community to help further research to develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

View the program here.

For more information, click here.

WEBINARS

AIDS Vaccine Research: The latest news and conference details

This webinar featured leaders in the field providing updates on ongoing and planned efficacy trials, along with a review of the science behind neutralizing antibody research.

A recording is available here.

For background on each of these issues check out AVAC’s fact sheet series, AIDS Vaccine Science for Busy Advocates.

AVAC AT AIDS VACCINE 2012

Symposia 04: Cross-cutting Issues in Clinical Trial Design

In a symposium on cross-cutting issues in trial design, presenters offered ideas on whether and how PrEP may be added to ongoing and planned AIDS vaccine trials, and the ethical and practical challenges of defining the standard of prevention offered to trial participants as new strategies are identified. Slides are available:

Good Participatory Practice (GPP) Guidelines

HIV Vaccines & Microbicides Resource Tracking

CONFERENCE DETAILS

Each of the sessions in the conference program was webcast—see the full list here.

Our suggested webcast viewing is available here.

Additional coverage of AIDS Vaccine 2012 will appear in the forthcoming issue of Px Wire.