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Economic Recession, Emerging Diseases Should Not Replace Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS, IAS President Says
Concerns regarding the H1N1 flu strain or the current global economic recession should not take attention away from the long-term fight against HIV/AIDS, Julio Mantaner, head of the International AIDS Society, said recently, VOA News reports. Mantaner said global health issues need to be "put ... into the proper perspective," adding, "No doubt that ... whatever new flu or any other epidemic that may show up the day after tomorrow ... is something that we need to respond to. But it cannot be at the expense of a proven, established killer" like HIV/AIDS. He said that although it is important to remain vigilant in detecting emerging epidemics and infectious diseases, "we"re (doing) ourselves a very serious disservice" when res are taken away from combating HIV/AIDS and given to "the next new potential epidemic."Mantaner said that although it is "clear that we failed to meet original targets" in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, there has been an increase in the number of HIV-positive people in developing countries receiving antiretroviral treatments from about 500,000 in 2003 to more than three million by the end of 2007. In addition, he said that antiretrovirals are "saving lives of people" and "preserving the social network, the family structure ... that is so severely compromised by HIV and AIDS." Despite this progress, Mantaner said that "[w]e need to recognize more [people] are being infected every day by a factor of nearly two than the number of people accessing antiretroviral therapy."Mantaner urged members of the World Health Assembly -- who recently met in Geneva -- to honor HIV/AIDS commitments, noting that the gains in fighting the pandemic cannot be reversed. He said that he is concerned the global recession, worries over the H1N1 flu and other "competing needs or hypothetical epidemics" could lead to donor nations "losing their interest" in fighting HIV/AIDS. Mantaner said that he is disappointed with President Obama"s recent $63 billion, six-year proposed global health initiative, adding that it falls short of his campaign promises. He said that IAS is asking leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations to "refocus their efforts" and "meet their commitments." He warned that if the commitments are not met, "[h]istory is going to judge us very harshly," adding, "We"ve been distracted by the epidemic of the day without recognizing that we have a killer within our midst that we can control" (DeCapua, VOA News, 5/21).
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Breakthrough In The Development Of A Novel Human Antibody Platform Announced By OMT
Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT), in collaboration with Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ, SGMO), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL), The Medical College of Wisconsin, and INSERM, have announced the creation of the first targeted knockout rats as detailed in "Knockout Rats Produced via Embryo Microinjection of Designed Zinc Finger Nucleases," published in the July 24th issue of Science. The creation of rats with permanent, heritable genetic mutations is a critical milestone in the development of OMT"s novel human monoclonal antibody platform.
News of the day
Boston Arm Of Multi-City Study To Focus On Sexual Health, HIV Risk Among Black Gay, Bisexual Men
Boston-based Fenway Health and the Multicultural AIDS Coalition "have launched the recruitment phase of a new study aimed at learning more about the sexual health of black gay and bi[sexual] men and finding effective strategies for HIV prevention within the black gay community," Bay Windows reports. The study, called Project Saving Ourselves (SOS), is seeking to recruit up to 400 participants in Boston, and also is collecting data on black gay and bisexual men in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ben Perkins, Project SOS director at the Fenway Institute of Fenway Health"s research division, said, "This is pretty new. In terms of the scale, there hasn"t been anything quite like it." Perkins said there are several questions researchers hope to answer about black gay and bisexual male health and HIV prevention, but the goal is to determine what factors put them at risk for HIV and help promote better health and safe behavior (Jacobs, 7/15).
Medical Devices

Novel Handheld Device Detects Anthrax With Outstanding Accuracy And Reliability

Veritide Ltd., a developer of innovative biological identification and detection solutions, today reported that new independent data to be presented at the Biodetection Technologies 2009 conference confirm the exceptional accuracy of its Ceeker™ (pronounced "seeker") portable bacterial detection device in discriminating between anthrax spores and similar-looking hoax substances. The data show that in over two weeks of testing at the Midwest Research Institute in Florida, the company"s Ceeker scanner accurately identified 100% of the anthrax samples used and was correct in 95% of tests involving hoax substances. These test results are consistent with similar results produced last year by a New Zealand forensic testing agency, Environmental Science and Research (ESR). "We knew that our innovative Ceeker is capable of producing outstanding results in distinguishing between anthrax and look-alike hoax substances, and now we have definitive data confirming its performance," said Andrew Rudge, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Veritide. "Even better, these extraordinary results were generated by a small portable handheld system that requires no special skills or training to operate and that can produce a result within minutes, enabling first responders to rapidly determine whether the situation is a nuisance or a major threat to public health." The Ceeker employs optical detection technology developed at New Zealand"s University of Canterbury. It uses ultraviolet light and special algorithms to detect bacterial spores and provides test results within minutes, without the need for wet chemistry or analytic processes that can be difficult to handle in the field. The Ceeker is capable of producing test results from very small amounts of sample and does not consume or destroy the sample being tested, allowing it to be re-analyzed later for forensic applications. In contrast, existing detection approaches require longer and more complex processing to distinguish anthrax from other substances (between 30 minutes and three days), their accuracy is inferior to the Ceeker and the sample is typically destroyed during testing. The new data will be presented on June 26, 2009 at Biodetection Technologies 2009 by Professor Lou Reinisch, an inventor of the Ceeker technology and Professor of Physics and Department Head at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Prof. Reinisch noted, "It is gratifying to present these outstanding results from a system that has so much potential to reduce the large costs and losses in productivity and peace of mind caused by our current inability to easily distinguish between anthrax spores and harmless white powder. These new data definitively confirm the validity of the detection concepts underlying the Ceeker and should help fuel its wider use among such first responders as fire and police departments, HazMat teams, postal services, port and airport security, and defense and military authorities." John Delaney is Captain, Arlington County, Virginia Fire Department and Manager, National Medical Response Team-National Capital Region, home to the Pentagon and many other major U.S. government and corporate facilities. Capt. Delaney commented, "With responsibility for helping to ensure the safety of the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in the Capital Region, my department welcomes the availability of technologically advanced solutions that enhance our ability to carry out our mission. The Veritide Ceeker is an excellent example-it is extremely versatile, easy-to-use and fast-results are ready in minutes. Most importantly, the new test data being presented this week confirm that the Ceeker is very reliable, enabling front-line decision makers to rapidly and confidently validate initial threat assessments that can ultimately have a far-reaching impact on public safety and well-being. The National Capital Region generally receives on average one alert a day or more regarding the potential presence of anthrax, so this device can only enhance our first responder capabilities and accuracy." The Ceeker has also been previously validated by forensic laboratory ESR, which conducted multiple rounds of testing using anthrax simulants and hoax substances. The successful U.S. test results have triggered significant sales from U.S. customers who had pre-ordered the Ceeker but were waiting for positive direct anthrax testing results before proceeding. Dr. Rudge added, "Achieving these results represents a significant milestone and positions Veritide as the first company to offer proven technology capable of accurately and reliably detecting lethal anthrax spores, and to do so without destroying the sample. These new testing results are expected to unlock large potential markets for Veritide in North America and around the globe. We currently are in the process of identifying potential partners and additional investors to ensure this important technology is available worldwide." To learn more about the Veritide Ceeker, go to http://www.veritide.com. The 14th International Biodetection Technologies conference is being held June 25-26, 2009 at the Marriot Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Reinisch"s presentation is scheduled at 11:00 am EDT on June 26, 2009. For more information visit http://www.knowledgefoundation.com. Barbara Lindheim BioCom Partners


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