On this World AIDS Day we are filled with both hope and concern.
Hope because significant progress has been made towards universal access. New HIV infections have dropped. Fewer children are born with HIV. And more than 4 million people are on treatment.
Concern because 28 years into the epidemic the virus continues to make inroads into new populations; stigma and discrimination continue to undermine efforts to turn back the epidemic. The violation of human rights of people living with HIV, women and girls, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users and sex workers must end.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on "all countries to live up to their commitments to enact or enforce legislation outlawing discrimination against people living with HIV and members of vulnerable groups". On this World AIDS Day, let us work urgently to remove punitive laws and practices and put an end to discrimination against and criminalization of people affected by HIV.
On World AIDS Day let us also act on HIV prevention. For every two people put on treatment, five are newly infected. Too often prevention programmes are not reaching those most in need.
We can eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. We can empower young people to protect themselves from HIV. We can stop violence against women and girls. We can protect drug users from becoming infected with HIV. And we can reduce sexual transmission of HIV.
Gains made today are fragile and must be sustained. The economic crisis should not be a reason for reducing investments in health. Economic adjustments must be made through a human rights lens that keeps the focus on those most vulnerable. This is the time to increase rather than decrease funding for AIDS.
AIDS provides a powerful mechanism for creating integrated health, human rights and development programmes. We must take AIDS out of isolation and create a broad social movement that will accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals.
World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all of us - individuals, communities and political leaders - to take action towards making universal access a reality.
Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Business & Industry
- Insilico Medicine receives IND approval for novel AI-designed USP1 inhibitor for cancer
- U.S. FDA approves ABRYSVO™, Pfizer's vaccine for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults
- Bayer launches unit to develop new precision health consumer products
- Pfizer's PAXLOVID™ receives FDA approval for adult patients at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19
- Insilico Medicine delivers preclinical candidate targeting ENPP1 for cancer immunotherapy and the treatment of rare disease using generative AI
Research & Development
- New drug delays progression of glioma, a deadly brain cancer
- Researchers use ‘natural’ system to identify proteins most useful for developing an effective HIV vaccine
- New blood biomarker can predict if cognitively healthy elderly will develop Alzheimer's disease
- Large study provides scientists with deeper insight into long COVID symptoms
- Multivitamin improves memory in older adults, study finds
- Capturing transporter structure paves the way for drug development
- Delivering on the promise of personalized breast cancer therapy
Conferences & Events
- Reduced cancer mortality with daily vitamin D intake
- Driving the potential of gene-based medicine through cutting-edge technologies to target undruggable diseases
- SAE Media Group proudly presents the 4th Annual AI in Drug Discovery Conference
- SAE Media Group's 6th annual 3D Cell Culture Conference
- CPHI Frankfurt returns to pre-pandemic strength as pharma industry booms again
- 14th Annual RNA Therapeutics: Investigating the next generation of genetic medicine through RNA based therapies
- CPHI Excellence in Pharma Award Winners 2022
Regulatory Affairs
- FDA announces additional steps to modernize clinical trials
- FDA approves first drug to treat agitation symptoms associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease
- FDA approves first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine
- FDA approves cell therapy for patients with blood cancers to reduce risk of infection following stem cell transplantation
- FDA approves first over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray