Abbott to Pay GSK $3.5M for Breach of Contract A federal jury in California has told Abbott Laboratories to pay GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) $3.5 million in damages for breach of agreement, but the jury ruled that Abbott did not try to maintain an illegal monopoly when it quadrupled the price of its drug Norvir, which is a boosting agent for many other AIDS meds.
March 30, 2011
New Regulations Limit Medical Marijuana in San Diego New comprehensive medical marijuana regulations in San Diego will force more than 165 dispensaries to close and apply for operating permits, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
ACLU Sues Alabama on Behalf of HIV-Positive Prisoners The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), charging that state policies discriminate against HIV-positive prisoners, according to an ACLU statement.
TB Eradication in U.S. Stalls as Cases Reach All-Time Low The number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the United States has hit an all-time low, with only 11,181 cases reported in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Violence and Discrimination Increase Against LGBT Haitians Violence and discrimination have increased against LGBT people in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake, according to a joint statement by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and SEROvie, a Haitian HIV/AIDS group.
March 28, 2011
New EEOC Regulations Include HIV as a Disability The
U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for
enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, has released the final revised
version of its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, according
to an EEOC statement.
AIDS United Gives $1.4M to 29 Groups in the Southern U.S. AIDS United has provided technical assistance and $1.4 million in grants to 29 community-based HIV/AIDS organizations as part of its Southern REACH (Regional Expansion of Access and Capacity to Address HIV/AIDS) initiative, according to an AIDS United statement.
Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry Auction to Benefit AIDS Groups
Proceeds from the auction of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection, which is estimated to be worth $150 million, will likely be donated to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, the New York Post reports.
NYC Public School Principal Accused of AIDS Smear Ron Smolkin, a New York City public school principal, is under investigation for allegedly attempting to smear one of his school teachers, Michael McPherrin, by saying he has AIDS, NY1 reports.
March 24, 2011
March 24 Is World Tuberculosis Day
March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day, an initiative that raises awareness about the disease and recognizes people who have contributed to TB innovation.
UK HIV Cases Nearly Doubled in Last Decade
New data from the U.K. Health Projection Agency show that new HIV cases in the country have nearly doubled from just less than 2,000 in 2001 to nearly 3,800 in 2010.
Justice Department Reviews HIV Discrimination in Trade Schools The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued letters to the attorneys general of all 50 states and U.S. territories asking them to review their jurisdictions’ admission and licensing criteria for trade schools and agencies to identify any criteria that exclude individuals with HIV/AIDS, according to a DOJ statement.
Malaysian Police Recover 700,000 Condoms Worth $1.5M Malaysian police have recovered 700,000 condoms worth about $1.5 million that were stolen en route to Japan two months ago, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
HIV Rent Cap Bill Reintroduced in New York Assembly The New York State Assembly reintroduced a rent cap bill ensuring that low-income people who are permanently disabled by HIV/AIDS and already receiving rental assistance pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent, according to a statement by Voices of Community Activists and Leaders New York (VOCAL-NY).
March 21, 2011
Man With AIDS Dementia Denied Compensation for Wrongful Imprisonment Douglas
Warney, a man with AIDS dementia who was wrongfully convicted of murder and
denied compensation for his imprisonment, has taken his case to the New York
State Court of Appeals, The New York
Times reports.
HIV Drug Development Stalls Companies that develop HIV drugs are at a standstill in bringing new medicines to market, Bloomberg reports.
Bill Reintroduced to End Funding of Abstinence-Only Programs U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (DN.J.) and California Representative Barbara Lee (DCalif.) reintroduced a bill to end federal funding of abstinence-only programs, Ms. magazine reports.
UNAIDS Urges Countries to Take Advantage of Generic Meds With increasing concern that an impending free trade agreement between the European Union and India could threaten the world’s supply of generic antiretroviral drugs, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has cowritten a new brief to help countries access the cheaper drugs.
Global Fund Announces Appointees for Financial Review The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has appointed former U.S. Secretary of Health Michael Leavitt and past President of Botswana Festus Gontebanye Mogae to cochair an external review of its financial systems following fraud and misuse of its grants.
March 16, 2011
Houston Expands FC2 Female Condom Access
The Female Health Company (FHC) has teamed up with state, local and community-based organizations in Houston to expand access to the FC2 Female Condom, according to a FHC statement.
NASTAD Takes Stand Against HIV Criminalization The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) is speaking out against HIV criminalization, The Michigan Messenger reports.
HIV Rates in Youth Continue to Climb in Philippines The rate of new HIV cases in youth has increased 10-fold in three years in the Philippines, one of only seven countries worldwide where the overall rate of infections continues to rise, according to the National HIV/AIDS Registry and reported by PlusNews.
March 15, 2011
HIV/AIDS Activist Herbert Spiers Dies Herbert Spiers, an HIV-positive activist for both LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues, died March 2 of cancer, OutHistory.org reports.
2011 Positive Living Conference
The annual Positive Living Conference was held March 11 to 13 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
March 11, 2011
AHF Ad Campaign Warns Gay Men “There Is No Magic Pill” The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) just revealed “There Is No Magic Pill,” a new national print ad campaign to educate men who have sex with men (MSM) and others about using HIV meds as a way to prevent getting HIV.
March 10 Is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10 is the sixth annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD), a nationwide observance encouraging people to recognize HIV’s impact on women and girls.
The Lion King and BC/EFA Give $5.5M to U.S., South Africa
The fundraising collaboration established in 1998 between the musical The Lion King and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) has raised more than $5.5 million, according to a BC/EFA statement.
NYC Judge Upholds Condoms With Political Messages
A New York City judge has dismissed illegal vending charges against a man selling condoms labeled with political messages, the First Amendment Center reports.
HIV/AIDS Activist Arbert Santana Dies Arbert Santana, an HIV/AIDS
and LGBT activist, has died, according to a statement from the Latino
Commission on AIDS.
Palette Fund 2011 Grants Go to HIV/AIDS Groups HIV/AIDS groups and programs serving HIV-positive people are among the 2011 grantees of The Palette Fund, according to a Palette Fund statement.
IAC Criticized for Lack of Focus on High-Risk Groups
The International AIDS Conference (IAC) lacks adequate representation of populations most at risk for HIV, including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender people, sex workers and people who use drugs, according to a Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) statement. MSMGF has released a report based on the most recent IAC in Vienna.
IAVI Launches New HIV Vaccine Design Program in India The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute (THSTI), a private entity of India’s Department of Biotechnology, have agreed to establish, operate and fund an HIV vaccine design program in New Delhi.
2011 Cricket World Cup Promotes HIV Awareness The International Cricket Council (ICC), UNAIDS and UNICEF have partnered to promote HIV awareness during the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.
March 02, 2011
Abbott on Trial for AIDS Drug Monopoly Abbott’s competitors seek $4.5 billion in damages because the drug maker allegedly quadrupled the price of its AIDS drug Norvir to monopolize the HIV treatment market, Bloomberg reports.
Massachusetts General Hospital Settles HIV Patient Privacy Violations The General Hospital Corporation and Massachusetts General Physicians agreed to pay $1 million to the U.S. government for patient privacy violations, according to a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) statement.
Normal Heart to Open on Broadway
Broadway has a late addition to its spring schedule: A revival of The Normal Heart, an award-winning play about love, AIDS and New York in the 1980s, will open April 27, according to The New York Times.
Adults Failing Sex Ed An older generation of American adults may be completely sexually illiterate, according to public health educators quoted in an MSNBC story.
Medicare May Pay for STI Exams U.S. health officials are considering adding sexually transmitted infection (STI) exams to the coverage provided by Medicare to the elderly and disabled, reports Reuters.
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