WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 25 (MARKET WIRE) --
In honor of World AIDS Day, The AIDS Institute (TAI), one of the nation's
leading advocacy organizations for support of people with HIV/AIDS and
their providers, joined Nobel Laureate Dr. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, in
calling for government leaders, patient advocates and the research
community to expand therapeutic HIV vaccine research.
TAI believes with more research funding, biotechnology treatments such as
therapeutic vaccines could lead to dramatic improvements in care for the
estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV.
"This kind of research needs a lot of money," said Dr. Barre-Sinoussi.
"For basic research, but also for the trial to see if it's working or not.
We need to have more funding for new scientists, young scientists that
would like to come to us with innovative, new, creative ideas. This is the
future."
The therapeutic HIV vaccines under investigation are designed to
supplement or possibly to provide an alternative to current
antiretroviral "cocktail" treatments for HIV. Researchers hope that one
day therapeutic vaccines can be given to already infected individuals to
help fight the disease by adjusting their immune response.
TAI Executive Director Michael Ruppal said expanded HIV vaccine funding
for biotechnology research is crucial for scientists so they can conduct
more trials and determine whether certain therapeutics are working.
"People with HIV are only estimated to survive 24 years after diagnosis,"
he said. "The only way that number will significantly change is with more
research funding, which will lead to new therapeutic trials. These trials
will help us determine whether the vaccines are working, and in return,
help achieve our goal of improved HIV care."
Leading AIDS treatment activist David Miller, a board member of TAI and
member of the Cornell Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group's Community Advisory
Board, explained why the government and researchers need to invest more
resources into HIV therapeutic vaccines.
"Advancing therapeutic vaccine research now will save lives. It's as
simple as that," Miller said. "We know that data from therapeutic vaccine
research clearly indicates significant survival benefits and a decrease
in disease progression. For the growing number of patients facing drug
resistance to HAART, therapeutic vaccines may be our best hope. We need
to make this the highest priority of research at the NIH and at leading
vaccine research institutions. A growing number of treatment activists
who have seen compelling data believe these vaccines can change the
current course of the AIDS crisis."
How to Advocate for Therapeutic Funding: You can help the cause by
visiting www.theaidsinstitute.org to learn more, find local services,
volunteer and contribute.
The AIDS Institute depends on the support of its various communities to
achieve its mission to promote action for social change through public
policy research, advocacy and education. Help ensure TAI has the resources
to fight AIDS and ensure quality healthcare for all people by making a
donation or giving of your time and talents.
To volunteer and/or to join TAI's email-based Action Alert Broadcast,
please contact The AIDS Institute at info@theaidsinstitute.org, or by
phone at 202-835-8373 or 800-779-4898.
Donations can be mailed to The AIDS Institute at 17 Davis Blvd. Suite 403,
Tampa, Florida 33606. Your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest
extent of the law. The AIDS Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization.
About HIV/AIDS: When HIV infects a person, the cells it infects most often
are CD4 cells, which are a type of white blood cell. The genetic code of
the virus becomes part of the cells. When CD4 cells multiply to fight an
infection, they also make more copies of HIV.
More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981. By the end of
2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and
for 59% is sub-Saharan Africa. Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans. In
developing and transitional countries, 9.7 million people are in immediate
need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.99 (31%) are receiving
the drugs.
About Therapeutic Vaccines: Biotechnology researchers conducted the first
therapeutic vaccine trial in AIDS patients in 1983. Less than 50
conventional trials have been carried out since then. Results have
consistently shown that immune responses were evident as a result of
vaccination. Although clinical improvements have rarely been observed,
some recent studies have shown patient benefit.
About the AIDS Institute: The AIDS Institute promotes action for social
change through public policy research, advocacy, and education. TAI began
as a grassroots community advocacy effort in the mid 1980s. In 1992, this
advocacy network became incorporated as Florida AIDS Action, a nonprofit
organization. Over the years, TAI expanded its vision to become a leading
national public policy research, advocacy, and education organization with
offices in Tampa, and Washington, DC. Affiliated with the Division of
Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at the University of South
Florida, College of Medicine, The AIDS Institute remains focused on
HIV/AIDS while incorporating work on related healthcare issues such as
Hepatitis, as well as other infectious and chronic diseases.
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Dr. Barre-Sinoussi, Professor and Director,
Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit, Virology Department, Institute
Pasteur, Paris, and recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine for her
work in identifying HIV as the cause of AIDS, discusses the need for more
funding in a recent video interview exclusive to TAI.
Interviews with researchers pursuing therapeutic vaccines can be arranged
through contacts.
Embedded Video Available:
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=563004
CONTACT:
Michael Ruppal
The AIDS Institute
813-258-5929
Email Contact
David Sheon
For The AIDS Institute
202-547-2880
Email Contact
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