The New York Times reported on the CAPRISA 004 results in an article today, “Advance on AIDS Raises Questions as Well as Joy.” The story notes that “after more than a dozen microbicide failures, [the results were] a huge relief, and led to cheering and standing ovations for the researchers.” The story can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/health/27aids.html.

Claire Keeton of the Sunday Times (South Africa) blogged about lessons from recent HIV vaccine efficacy trials.  Below is her full report, which can be found here: http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hiv/2010/05/2

The Microbicides Media and Communications Initiative (MMCI), in partnership with Family Health International (FHI) and the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM), will launch the Communications Handbook for Clinical Trials, a practical guide developed for site-level microbicide researchers, communicators, advocates and others working on HIV prevention trials in developing countries.  

AmfAR and TAG issued a brief, The Sound Investment: The Multiplier Effect of AIDS Research, which states that in FY2011 and future years, Congress must redress five years of flat funding for NIH by significantly increasing overall NIH appropriations to take advantage of growing scientific opportunity in health research.  The full brief is available below.

A team of scientists at Oxford University and Nova Laboratories found a simple and inexpensive way of keeping vaccines stable even at tropical temperatures, researchers report in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The deadline for the 2010 nmincations for the Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research is January 31, 2010.  The award is intended to honour individuals who have shown leadership and commitment to HIV prevention research advocacy and to recognize the work of advocates who have inspired others in their commitment to HIV prevention.  More information is available at:

The KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH) is hosting a

Mark Wainberg, the Director of the McGill University AIDS Centre, wrote an editorial for the Windsor Star applauding Canada in its early support of AIDS vaccine research and urging its continued leadership as a technical and funding partner. Click below for the full editorial.

The first International Symposium on Natural Immunity to HIV (ISNIH) will be held in Winnipeg, Canada from November 15 - 17, 2009. The conference is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Manitoba and the Public Health Agency of Canada. For more information, please visit the ISNIH web site (http://www.icid.com/isnih/index.php) and see the below press release.