Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Global Fight Against Tuberculosis
Turberculosis is making a global comeback, including in the United States. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, discusses the concern surrounding the disease.
Video (2:51).
Global Fight Against Tuberculosis
Video (2:51).
Global Fight Against Tuberculosis
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Former Officials and Broker of Peanut Corporation of America Indicted in Connection with Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Products
FBI Atlanta Division Press Release:
Former Officials and Broker of Peanut Corporation of America Indicted in Connection with Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Products
Former Officials and Broker of Peanut Corporation of America Indicted in Connection with Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Products
Allegations Include Mail and Wire Fraud, Introduction of Adulterated and Misbranded Food into Interstate Commerce with Intent to Defraud or Mislead, and Conspiracy
| U.S. Department of JusticeFebruary 21, 2013 |
WASHINGTON—A 76-count indictment was unsealed yesterday charging four former officials of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and a related company with numerous charges relating to salmonella-tainted peanuts and peanut products, the Justice Department announced today. Stewart Parnell, 58, of Lynchburg, Virginia; Michael Parnell, 54, of Midlothian, Virginia; and Samuel Lightsey, 48, of Blakely, Georgia, have been charged with mail and wire fraud, the introduction of adulterated and misbranded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead, and conspiracy. Stewart Parnell, Lightsey, and Mary Wilkerson, 39, of Edison, Georgia, were also charged with obstruction of justice.
Also yesterday, an information filed against Daniel Kilgore, 44, of Blakely, was unsealed. On the same day that charges against Kilgore were filed, he pleaded guilty to that information, which charged him with mail and wire fraud, the introduction of adulterated and misbranded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead, and conspiracy.
The investigation into the activity at PCA began in 2009 after the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traced a national outbreak of salmonella to a PCA plant in Blakely as the likely source. As alleged in the indictment, the Blakely plant was a peanut roasting facility where PCA roasted raw peanuts and produced granulated peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut paste; PCA sold these peanut products to its customers around the country.
The charging documents charge that Stewart Parnell, Michael Parnell, Lightsey, and Kilgore participated in a scheme to manufacture and ship salmonella-contaminated peanuts and peanut products, and in so doing misled PCA customers. As alleged in the indictment, those customers ranged in size from small, family-owned businesses to global, multi-billion-dollar food companies.
“When those responsible for producing or supplying our food lie and cut corners, as alleged in the indictment, they put all of us at risk,” said Stuart F. Delery, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the safety of Americans who have done nothing more than eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
Although PCA is now no longer in business, the allegations against each of the defendants arise from his or her conduct while at PCA and a related company. The following allegations are set forth in the indictment: Stewart Parnell was an owner and president of PCA; Michael Parnell, who worked at P.P. Sales, was a food broker who worked on behalf of PCA; Lightsey was the operations manager at the Blakely plant from on or about July 2008 through February 2009; and Wilkerson held various positions at the Blakely plant—receptionist, office manager, and quality assurance manager—from in or about April 2002 through February 2009. As charged in the information, Kilgore served as operations manager of the PCA plant in Blakely from in or about June 2002 through May 2008.
“We all place a great deal of trust in the companies and individuals who prepare and package our food, often times taking it for granted that the public’s health and safety interests will outweigh individual and corporate greed,” said Michael Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Unfortunately and as alleged in the indictment, these defendants cared less about the quality of the food they were providing to the American people and more about the quantity of money they were gathering while disregarding food safety. This investigation was complex and extensive, and I credit the cooperation of our federal agencies with not only making sure that the cause of this outbreak was uncovered and the people responsible called to account, but also with working hard every day to make sure that parents across the country can feel confident that the food they are feeding their children is safe.”
The charging documents allege that Stewart Parnell, Michael Parnell, Lightsey, and Kilgore participated in several schemes by which they defrauded PCA customers about the quality and purity of their peanut products and specifically misled PCA customers about the existence of foodborne pathogens, most notably salmonella, in the peanut products PCA sold to them. As the charging documents allege, the members of the conspiracy did so in several ways—for example, even when laboratory testing revealed the presence of salmonella in peanut products from the Blakely plant, Stewart Parnell, Michael Parnell, Lightsey, and Kilgore failed to notify customers of the presence of salmonella in the products shipped to them.
In addition, the charging documents allege that Stewart Parnell, Michael Parnell, Lightsey, and Kilgore participated in a scheme to fabricate certificates of analysis (COAs) accompanying various shipments of peanut products. COAs are documents that summarize laboratory results, including results concerning the presence or absence of pathogens. As alleged in the charging documents, on several occasions these four defendants participated in a scheme to fabricate COAs stating that shipments of peanut products were free of pathogens when, in fact, there had been no tests on the products at all or when the laboratory results showed that a sample tested positive for salmonella.
After the salmonella outbreak that gave rise to this investigation, FDA inspectors visited the plant several times in January 2009. According to the indictment, the inspectors asked specific questions about the plant, its operations, and its history; in several instances, Stewart Parnell, Lightsey, and Wilkerson gave untrue or misleading answers to these questions.
“The charges announced today show that if an individual violates food safety rules or conceals relevant information, we will seek to hold them accountable,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “The health of our families and the safety of our food system is too important to be thwarted by the criminal acts of any individual or company.”
Stewart Parnell, Michael Parnell, and Samuel Lightsey are each charged with two counts of conspiracy, multiple counts of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud, multiple counts of introducing misbranded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud, multiple counts of interstate shipment fraud, and multiple counts of wire fraud. Stewart Parnell, Lightsey, and Wilkerson are also charged with multiple counts of obstruction of justice.
Kilgore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded food into interstate commerce, eight counts of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud, six counts of introducing misbranded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud, eight counts of interstate shipment fraud, and five counts of wire fraud.
Mark F. Giuliano, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “The FBI was brought in to this matter to provide additional resources and expertise to a complex and very serious investigation. We fully understand the victim impact as a result of this salmonella outbreak and will be asking to hear from other possible victims in this matter.”
Individuals who feel that they may have been affected by or have become ill from tainted PCA products, and businesses that purchased products that were recalled as a result of the outbreak, should fill out the following questionnaire: https://forms.fbi.gov/pca-salmonella-tainted-product-case/.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Patrick Hearn and Mary M. Englehart of the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Dasher of the Middle District of Georgia. Marietta Geckos, formerly a trial attorney with the Consumer Protection Branch, also worked on the prosecution. The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the FBI.
The PCA indictment can be viewed at:www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/61201322111426350488.pdf.
Kilgore’s filed information can be viewed at:www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/22820132211141246302.pdf.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
ViiV Healthcare announces FDA priority review designation for dolutegravir as a potential treatment for HIV infection
GlaxoSmithKline News Release:
ViiV Healthcare announces FDA priority review designation for dolutegravir as a potential treatment for HIV infection
London, UK - 15 February, 2013
ViiV Healthcare today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review designation to dolutegravir submitted for the treatment of HIV infection, in combination with other antiretroviral agents, in adults and adolescents. A priority review designation is granted to drugs that, if approved, have the potential to offer significant improvement compared to marketed products or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists. The FDA has assigned dolutegravir a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of 17 August, 2013.
The new drug application (NDA) for dolutegravir was received by the FDA on 17 December 2012, and includes the results of four pivotal phase III clinical trials that treated a total of 2553 patients with HIV/AIDS across the treatment spectrum, from therapy naïve to salvage patients. Dolutegravir is in development and subject to evaluation of the benefits and risks by the regulatory authorities before it can be approved and made available on prescription.
ViiV Healthcare submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for dolutegravir to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 17 December, 2012.
About ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV. Shionogi joined as a 10% shareholder in October 2012. The company’s aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before and take a new approach to deliver effective and new HIV medicines, as well as support communities affected by HIV. For more information on the company, its management, portfolio, pipeline and commitment, please visit www.viivhealthcare.com.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
BOLSTERING THE FRONT LINE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE RESPONSE
DARPA Press Release:
BOLSTERING THE FRONT LINE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE RESPONSE
February 12, 2013
DARPA advances sensitivity and durability of antibody-based biosensors to better protect warfighters; technologies to transition to DoD’s Critical Reagents Program
Biological warfare agents pose more than a hypothetical threat to U.S. military servicemembers. Troops operate in hostile areas where they could come under attack from adversaries wielding bio-agents like anthrax and toxins. The first step in reacting to any such attack is knowing that it occurred. Quickly and accurately identifying the presence of airborne antigens can be difficult given their complexity, the presence of numerous similar microorganisms in the environment, and the fact that even minute quantities of a threat agent can cause infection.[i]
The Department of Defense (DoD) employs antibody-based biosensors as its immediate tool for quickly detecting antigens—antibodies bind to antigens—but these sensors have functional limitations that can leave warfighters at risk. The two biggest liabilities involve stability and affinity. Stability refers to a sensor’s ability to continue functioning as required over time and despite environmental conditions. Affinity refers to the tightness of the bond between an antibody and an antigen; the higher the affinity, the more sensitive a biosensor is over a wider range of threats. Existing DoD biosensors, while effective, have restricted shelf lives, are quickly rendered inoperable by high temperatures and offer limited affinity.
DARPA launched the Antibody Technology Program (ATP) in 2009 to address the technological limitations of current antibody-based biosensors. The program set out with two primary goals: achieve revolutionary improvements in the stability of antibodies over time, even in extreme conditions; and control affinity in biosensors to enable detection of numerous antigens by a single unit. ATP ended in 2012 having achieved both goals and with a plan in place to transition the technologies to DoD’s Critical Reagents Program, part of the Joint Program Executive Office – Chemical and Biological Defense (JPE-CBD), for biosensor deployment throughout the military services.
Specifically, DARPA performers demonstrated the ability to increase antibody temperature stability at 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) to 48 hours, up from the current limit of five to ten minutes. When transitioned to DoD biosensors, these results are projected to eliminate the need for refrigeration while increasing the shelf life by a factor of 36, extending survivability at room temperature (approx. 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit) from one month to approximately three years. DARPA also increased antibody affinity by a factor of 400, thus opening the door to vastly more sensitive, multiplexed biosensors that can test for numerous antigens.
Mildred Donlon, the DARPA program manager for ATP, explained the implications of the breakthroughs: “When you consider the locations of warfighters who have the most potential for biological weapons to be used against them, they are typically environments with extreme temperatures and harsh conditions, and the warfighters themselves are probably operating in small groups. If it’s going to be useful to these teams, DoD equipment needs to be ruggedized to survive conditions and be easy to use by non-experts. The ATP technology hits these goals.
“By removing temperature stability as a limiting factor, troops will now be able to carry sensors with them without worrying about refrigeration and wondering if the sensor will return an accurate reading. According to the Chemical Biological Medical Systems Joint Project Management Office at JPE-CBD, eliminating the need for cold-chain logistics in transport and deployment of sensors is estimated to save DoD in the range of $10 million per year,” Donlon said. “The new stability also means antibodies can be attached to new materials to make potentially more practical sensors to take the place of current beads and strips. Most importantly, by pairing more stable sensors with a huge increase in sensitivity, DARPA is giving troops the confidence to trust the results of what can be literally life-or-death measurements.”
ATP achieved these results by altering the amino acid sequences within the antibody molecules. Rather than creating an additive stabilizing material, ATP performers devised methods to make the altered amino acids an integral part of the structure of the antibody molecule.
“Antibody-based biosensors have been in use for roughly 30 years,” Donlon said. “DARPA used recent advances in understanding of protein structure and analysis to determine new ways to alter amino acids, integrate them into an antibody structure, and do so at a sustainable scale.”
DARPA partnered with the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) from the beginning of ATP, to first assist with evaluation of performer research proposals, then later in the program to provide ATP performers with unaltered antibodies, conduct testing on the performers’ altered antibodies, and validate results. To ensure that the production methods for modifying antibodies are scalable and cost effective, performers had to submit one-gram samples for testing. The positive results mean that existing DoD antibody stockpiles can be altered to incorporate the new properties of stability and high affinity.
Program performers for ATP included: Affomix Corp. (Branford, Conn.), purchased by Illumina, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.); AnaptysBio, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.); the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington, District of Columbia); StableBody Technologies, LLC (Lemont, Ill.); The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas); and the ECBC (Aberdeen, Md.), which participated as the validation laboratory. AxioMx, Inc. (Branford, Conn.) was created to rapidly generate high-quality recombinant antibodies.
[i] Committee on R&D Needs for Improving Civilian Medical Response to Chemical and Biological Terrorism Incidents, Institute of Medicine. "Detection and Measurement of Biological Agents." Chemical and Biological Terrorism: Research and Development to Improve Civilian Medical Response. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1999.
# # #
BOLSTERING THE FRONT LINE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE RESPONSE
February 12, 2013
DARPA advances sensitivity and durability of antibody-based biosensors to better protect warfighters; technologies to transition to DoD’s Critical Reagents Program
Biological warfare agents pose more than a hypothetical threat to U.S. military servicemembers. Troops operate in hostile areas where they could come under attack from adversaries wielding bio-agents like anthrax and toxins. The first step in reacting to any such attack is knowing that it occurred. Quickly and accurately identifying the presence of airborne antigens can be difficult given their complexity, the presence of numerous similar microorganisms in the environment, and the fact that even minute quantities of a threat agent can cause infection.[i]
The Department of Defense (DoD) employs antibody-based biosensors as its immediate tool for quickly detecting antigens—antibodies bind to antigens—but these sensors have functional limitations that can leave warfighters at risk. The two biggest liabilities involve stability and affinity. Stability refers to a sensor’s ability to continue functioning as required over time and despite environmental conditions. Affinity refers to the tightness of the bond between an antibody and an antigen; the higher the affinity, the more sensitive a biosensor is over a wider range of threats. Existing DoD biosensors, while effective, have restricted shelf lives, are quickly rendered inoperable by high temperatures and offer limited affinity.
DARPA launched the Antibody Technology Program (ATP) in 2009 to address the technological limitations of current antibody-based biosensors. The program set out with two primary goals: achieve revolutionary improvements in the stability of antibodies over time, even in extreme conditions; and control affinity in biosensors to enable detection of numerous antigens by a single unit. ATP ended in 2012 having achieved both goals and with a plan in place to transition the technologies to DoD’s Critical Reagents Program, part of the Joint Program Executive Office – Chemical and Biological Defense (JPE-CBD), for biosensor deployment throughout the military services.
Specifically, DARPA performers demonstrated the ability to increase antibody temperature stability at 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) to 48 hours, up from the current limit of five to ten minutes. When transitioned to DoD biosensors, these results are projected to eliminate the need for refrigeration while increasing the shelf life by a factor of 36, extending survivability at room temperature (approx. 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit) from one month to approximately three years. DARPA also increased antibody affinity by a factor of 400, thus opening the door to vastly more sensitive, multiplexed biosensors that can test for numerous antigens.
Mildred Donlon, the DARPA program manager for ATP, explained the implications of the breakthroughs: “When you consider the locations of warfighters who have the most potential for biological weapons to be used against them, they are typically environments with extreme temperatures and harsh conditions, and the warfighters themselves are probably operating in small groups. If it’s going to be useful to these teams, DoD equipment needs to be ruggedized to survive conditions and be easy to use by non-experts. The ATP technology hits these goals.
“By removing temperature stability as a limiting factor, troops will now be able to carry sensors with them without worrying about refrigeration and wondering if the sensor will return an accurate reading. According to the Chemical Biological Medical Systems Joint Project Management Office at JPE-CBD, eliminating the need for cold-chain logistics in transport and deployment of sensors is estimated to save DoD in the range of $10 million per year,” Donlon said. “The new stability also means antibodies can be attached to new materials to make potentially more practical sensors to take the place of current beads and strips. Most importantly, by pairing more stable sensors with a huge increase in sensitivity, DARPA is giving troops the confidence to trust the results of what can be literally life-or-death measurements.”
ATP achieved these results by altering the amino acid sequences within the antibody molecules. Rather than creating an additive stabilizing material, ATP performers devised methods to make the altered amino acids an integral part of the structure of the antibody molecule.
“Antibody-based biosensors have been in use for roughly 30 years,” Donlon said. “DARPA used recent advances in understanding of protein structure and analysis to determine new ways to alter amino acids, integrate them into an antibody structure, and do so at a sustainable scale.”
DARPA partnered with the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) from the beginning of ATP, to first assist with evaluation of performer research proposals, then later in the program to provide ATP performers with unaltered antibodies, conduct testing on the performers’ altered antibodies, and validate results. To ensure that the production methods for modifying antibodies are scalable and cost effective, performers had to submit one-gram samples for testing. The positive results mean that existing DoD antibody stockpiles can be altered to incorporate the new properties of stability and high affinity.
Program performers for ATP included: Affomix Corp. (Branford, Conn.), purchased by Illumina, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.); AnaptysBio, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.); the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington, District of Columbia); StableBody Technologies, LLC (Lemont, Ill.); The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas); and the ECBC (Aberdeen, Md.), which participated as the validation laboratory. AxioMx, Inc. (Branford, Conn.) was created to rapidly generate high-quality recombinant antibodies.
[i] Committee on R&D Needs for Improving Civilian Medical Response to Chemical and Biological Terrorism Incidents, Institute of Medicine. "Detection and Measurement of Biological Agents." Chemical and Biological Terrorism: Research and Development to Improve Civilian Medical Response. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1999.
# # #
Monday, February 11, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Two Suwanee Correctional Institute Inmates Indicted for Making Hoax Anthrax Threats
FBI, Jacksonville Division Press Release:
Two Suwanee Correctional Institute Inmates Indicted for Making Hoax Anthrax Threats
Two Suwanee Correctional Institute Inmates Indicted for Making Hoax Anthrax Threats
| U.S. Attorney’s OfficeFebruary 07, 2013 |
JACKSONVILLE—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces the return by a grand jury of two separate indictments charging Randy C. Johnson (22) and Johnell Ford (21), both inmates of the Florida Department of Corrections, with sending hoax anthrax letters to sitting judges. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The federal prison sentences may run consecutive to sentences they are currently serving in state custody.
According to the indictment charging Johnson, in January 2012, Johnson allegedly sent an envelope containing a threatening letter and a substance purporting to be anthrax to a sitting United States Magistrate Judge in Tampa. According to the indictment charging Ford, in August 2012, Ford allegedly sent a threatening letter and a substance purporting to be anthrax to a sitting Florida circuit judge in Tampa. Both individuals were inmates of the Suwannee Correctional Institute at the time of making the hoax threats.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.
Renowned Photographer and HIV Activist Duane Cramer Partners with Project Runway Star Mondo Guerra and Merck on I Design Campaign
News Release:
Renowned Photographer and HIV Activist Duane Cramer Partners with Project Runway Star Mondo Guerra and Merck on I Design Campaign
National HIV Education Initiative Kicks Off Second Year of Education on Self-expression in HIV Treatment with New Interactive Tools
Thursday, February 7, 2013 9:04 am EST
"Over the last year, I’ve been inspired by the many voices within the HIV community and want to continue reaching more people with theI Designmessage of working with your doctor in taking a tailored approach to your HIV treatment,"
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Feb. 7, 2013 – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that Duane Cramer, an acclaimed photographer and HIV advocate, is joining the national HIV education campaign I Design. Duane has partnered with Project Runway star Mondo Guerra, who served as the voice of the campaign in 2012, to help empower people living with HIV to work with their doctors and approach HIV treatment “through their own lens.” The I Design campaign traveled the United States in 2012, and is embarking on its second year on the road this National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day,including the launch of interactive digital tools to help with HIV management onwww.ProjectIDesign.com.
“As a person who has lived with HIV for a long time, I’ve learned that self-expression is incredibly important, especially when it comes to working with my doctor on a treatment plan,” said Cramer. “I am thrilled to join Merck and Mondo on theI Design campaign and to be kicking off the second year of this successful initiative on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I look forward to helping people living with HIV understand the importance of an open and ongoing dialogue with their healthcare provider to manage this chronic disease.”
An internationally known photographer, Duane has lived with HIV for nearly two decades. He is also a passionate activist for HIV awareness and education, particularly for the African-American community, who are disproportionately affected by the disease. Since being diagnosed as HIV-positive, HIV has become his artistic lens, no matter the subject. Some of his most rewarding work, through his photography and his personal life, comes from bringing attention to African-Americans living with HIV. Duane lost his father Joe J. Cramer, Jr., PhD, an accomplished academician, to the disease in 1986, and later created a panel for the AIDS Memorial Quilt in his honor with his mothers and sisters. He served as board member emeritus for the NAMES Project Foundation – AIDS Memorial Quilt.
“Over the last year, I’ve been inspired by the many voices within the HIV community and want to continue reaching more people with theI Designmessage of working with your doctor in taking a tailored approach to your HIV treatment,” said Guerra. “The experience has been truly rewarding and I’m looking forward to working with Duane to continue sharing our messages about managing your HIV and the importance of patient-physician collaboration.”
Mondo and the I Design campaign traveled across the United States in 2012 with multiple stops, including the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) and the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA 2012). With Duane on board, the campaign will continue to raise awareness about the importance of active communication with your doctor about goals of treatment now and in the future, including introducing interactive digital tools that can help facilitate these conversations. The “My Health Matters” and “My Positive Agenda” mobile and desktop apps – now available on www.ProjectIDesign.com – include a symptom and medication tracker, which can create reports to make it easy to share information with your healthcare team.
Getting Involved with I Design
I Design is a national HIV education campaign led by Merck, notable fashion designer Mondo Guerra and award-winning photographer Duane Cramer aimed at helping to empower people living with HIV to have open and meaningful discussions with their doctors about their treatment plan based on their medical and lifestyle needs.
To learn more about the campaign, visit www.ProjectIDesign.com where you can download aconversation checklist, which offers tips on how to engage in an open and honest dialogue with your doctor; design a digital textile illustrating your approach to managing HIV; and view videos and photos. To help you track and manage your health, there are the “My Health Matters” and “My Positive Agenda” mobile and desktop apps. These easy-to-use tools help you track the symptoms of your HIV, set up reminders to take your medications on time, and keep a record of when you have taken them, which can serve to prompt you on important discussion points when you are with your doctor. For additional tips and to follow Merck, Mondo, and Duane’s collaboration onI Design, join them on Twitter @Merck, @LoveMondoTrasho and @DuaneCramer.
About National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was commemorated to increase HIV awareness and advance HIV prevention, testing, and treatment among Blacks in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-Americans face the most severe burden of HIV compared to all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Despite representing approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population in 2009, African-Americans accounted for nearly 45 percent of all new HIV infections in that year and account for a higher proportion of HIV infections at all stages of disease – from new infections to deaths.
About Mondo Guerra
After an emotional disclosure of his HIV-positive status during Season 8, fashion designer Mondo Guerra won the hearts of the judges, fellow contestants and viewers on the hit reality TV show Project Runway. Last Spring marked his triumphant return toProject Runway All Stars Season 1 as the winner of the show.
Mondo has been HIV-positive for more than 10 years, and since his courageous disclosure, has become an advocate for HIV awareness. He is currently collaborating with Merck on I Design, a national HIV education campaign to help empower people living with HIV to play an active role in working with their doctors to design an HIV treatment plan. Mondo continues to serve as a role model in the HIV community by speaking openly about his status and encouraging others to do the same.
About Duane Cramer
Duane Cramer is a freelance, award-winning photographer whose poignant photos of dignitaries, celebrities and everyday individuals gracefully capture the humanity of his subjects. Since being diagnosed with HIV 17 years ago, Duane Cramer has become a tireless advocate for HIV awareness and education, using his photography and creative skills to bring attention to the disease, particularly in the African-American community.
Duane has previously served as a board member emeritus for the NAMES Project Foundation – AIDS Memorial Quilt and was a founding member on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. In addition to I Design, Duane continues to devote his time, energy and artistic expression to numerous HIV events and organizations across the United States.
Merck’s Commitment to HIV
For more than 25 years, Merck has been at the forefront of the response to the HIV epidemic and we have made a difference through our proud legacy of commitment to innovation, collaborating with community, and expanding global access to medicines. Merck is dedicated to applying our scientific expertise, resources and global reach to deliver healthcare solutions that support people living with HIV worldwide.
About Merck
Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Bats reveal clues to viral immunity - YouTube
Bats can harbour some of the world's most deadly viruses without ever getting sick and researchers in Singapore are trying to find out how they do it. By investigating the creatures' genetic structure, the scientists hope to eventually find the key for humans to fight infectious disesases. Elly Park reports.
Video (2:21).
Bats reveal clues to viral immunity - YouTube
Video (2:21).
Bats reveal clues to viral immunity - YouTube
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
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