Will Schwarzenegger Become the “Terminator” of ADAP?
The National AIDS Fund and Bristol-Myers Squibb Announce New Initiative
Tibotec Therapeutics Launches GRACE Campaign
CAEAR Foundation Changes Name to HealthHIV
Will Schwarzenegger Become the “Terminator” of ADAP?
On the eve of World AIDS Day, activists gathered outside San Francisco's City Hall to demand that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger make no cuts to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides medications to low-income patients with HIV and AIDS.
According to Project Inform in San Francisco, the rate of infection will continue to rise if budget cuts make antiretroviral medications inaccessible for vulnerable populations.
The assistance program could face a budget shortfall in 2010-11 of as much as $100 million if the governor does not fund the program fully, said Dana Van Gorder, Project Inform executive director.
"They're talking about removing up to 8,500 clients who rely on ADAP for their medication," he said. "They're talking about cutting clients who make more than $20,000 a year. They're talking about creating a waiting list."
Schwarzenegger has not made even preliminary decisions about the budget he will propose to the Legislature in early January, said H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the state Department of Finance. He added, however, that when Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto to slash hundreds of millions of dollars from state programs in late July, he left the AIDS Drug Assistance Program untouched.
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2004 set a record for ADAP waiting lists, which eventually totaled 1,629 people, but the waiting list has increased over 800% this year. At this rate of growth, the waiting list could double and pass 500 by Christmas.
As of December 1, there are 342 individuals in nine states currently on waiting lists. In addition, 12 states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, and Washington) are planning to start waiting lists or implement “cost containment measures,” which will restrict access prior to March 31, 2010 or shortly thereafter.discuss this news brief in our discussion forum
The National AIDS Fund and Bristol-Myers Squibb Announce New Initiative
On November 30, the National AIDS Fund (NAF) and pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb announced the launch of “Positive Charge,” a new multi-year initiative aimed at helping to break down the barriers that prevent HIV-positive people from getting care, treatment, and necessary support. The initiative is slated to begin in January.
“Although we have come a long way in the fight against HIV and AIDS, there are more than a million Americans who are currently living with HIV and an estimated 640,000 people with HIV who, for a myriad of reasons, are either undiagnosed, not in medical care or not receiving HIV treatment,” said Kandy Ferree, president and CEO of The National AIDS Fund in Washington, D.C. “This is a unique example of how the business and community sectors can work side by side to better understand and tackle this important issue.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb commissioned a national survey over the past year to better understand the barriers to HIV testing, care, and treatment. The survey concluded that there are significant personal, societal, and structural barriers that prevent people from taking action. “It’s sad, but true that in 2009, stigma still plays a huge role in preventing people from getting tested and into care,” said Ms. Ferree. “We are proud to work in collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb to help break down these barriers by creating a targeted initiative that supports collaborative and highly coordinated, community-based efforts to reduce barriers and provide the supportive services people living with HIV/AIDS need to effectively access health care.”
“We know this work is complex, but we are committed to success. This collaboration with the National AIDS Fund is intended to further our commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Jill DeSimone, senior vice president, U.S. Virology, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
“Positive Charge” is an outreach initiative designed to support programs customized to meet the unique needs of HIV-positive individuals, and is dedicated to working with health care providers, community members, advocates, caregivers and families of people living with HIV/AIDS in order to assist them in overcoming the barriers that may be preventing them from getting the care, treatment and support they need.
“Positive Charge” is also designed to make meaningful contributions to scientific exchange, as well as policy and advocacy dialogues to the benefit of people living with HIV/AIDS.discuss this news brief in our discussion forum
Tibotec Therapeutics Launches GRACE Campaign
Tibotec Therapeutics announced on December 1 that it is launching a new initiative to raise awareness of issues affecting women and people of color living with HIV/AIDS. Through a comprehensive campaign, including local educational events, media outreach, and a new web site, www.TheGraceStudy.com, the company is sharing findings from the GRACE study, the largest clinical trial in North America among women with HIV who had previously taken HIV medications. GRACE, which stands for Gender, Race and Clinical Experience, examined differences in response to an HIV medication in combination with other HIV medications.
The GRACE campaign will include perspectives from study participants, physicians, and advocates. Campaign materials, which will be available in English and Spanish, as well as supporting activities, will address the unique design of the GRACE study and the novel recruitment and retention strategies that were used to encourage women and people of color to enroll and stay in the trial.
“The GRACE study not only provides a new model for HIV research, it also has implications for the care of women and people of color living with HIV,” said Dawn Averitt Bridge, Founder and Chair of The Well Project, and a paid consultant on the GRACE study. “GRACE proves that women and people of color can and will participate in clinical trials if they are designed and supported in the right way, and these strategies and support techniques can be applied to the everyday care of people living with HIV.”
The GRACE study enrolled 67% women and 84% people of color, despite the fact that these groups have typically been less likely to participate in clinical trials. The study was designed in partnership with the HIV community and used unique strategies, such as help covering costs of participating, including travel, childcare, and food vouchers, to encourage HIV-positive women and people of color to participate in the trial. Study sites could also apply for grants to provide support activities like lunch-and-learn sessions and patient support groups.
“The GRACE trial was made possible through widespread collaboration between Tibotec Therapeutics and the HIV community, providing an example of what needs to be done to truly address disparities in HIV care,” said Glenn Mattes, President of Tibotec Therapeutics. “Individuals who participated in GRACE have played a historic role in advancing the understanding of HIV treatment in women and people of color.”
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CAEAR Foundation Changes Name to HealthHIV
On World AIDS Day, the CAEAR Foundation, one of the largest national HIV non‐profit organizations, announced that it is changing its name to HealthHIV and launching a new website. The announcement coincides with the start of a campaign to promote the organization’s new vision and expanded scope of services.
“HealthHIV clearly, quickly, and easily states our mission and reason for being,” said HealthHIV Executive Director Brian Hujdich. “HealthHIV's logo reflects the evolving health care environment and the essential integration of HIV into the primary care setting, significantly changing and broadening the way we approach HIV as a chronic disease. Our new website [www.healthhiv.org] will integrate HIV-related information available to professionals and consumers, provide numerous educational programs, and centralize HIV technical assistance offerings.”
HealthHIV directs significant federally-funded projects that address HIV primary medical care (“Supporting Networks of HIV Care by Enhancing Primary Medical Care”), fiscal management (“Communities Learning Together”), and HIV awareness among government officials. In addition, HealthHIV conducts numerous medical and patient education programs across the spectrum of prevention, care, and treatment topics. HealthHIV has a full-time staff of over 18 professionals, with specific HIV-related expertise in areas such as clinical, cultural competency, stigma, and research as well as experience in work settings ranging from universities to PEPFAR-funded countries.
“The foundation which CAEAR built over the past 10 years allows us to now move to the next level of relevance and impact. As our new tagline states, we’re ‘Putting Health First’, redefining how an HIV non-profit fits into a broader health care environment,” said Hujdich. “Using state-of-the-art technology and state-of-the-science approaches, HealthHIV will be data- and outcomes-driven in addressing provider and consumer behavior and needs.”
For more information on HealthHIV, visit www.healthHIV.org.
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