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Do We Care Enough about HIV/AIDS?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Next Week Canadian swimmer Kristin Roe will swim a total of 30Km across the Northumberland Strait, over and back between PEI and New Brunswick. She is also researching how women manage AIDS in developing nations. Funds raised will go the Stephen Lewis Foundation. All excellent work.There are a number of small initiatives that take place like this around the world. Small events, larger events and then the big conferences like the International AIDS Conference in Mexico this year (it was in Toronto in 2006 and the Harper government in Canada didn't even attend.)No doubt that all together, they help in raising awareness, fund...
Source: Slimconomy - July 25, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: care Think Source Type: blogs

OraSure Spins Us Dizzy. Again.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
On June 16th, OraSure issued a press release regarding a very high degree of excellent data for their OraQuick ADVANCE HIv 1/2 test. Buried at the bottom of the press release was "some minor issues where 2/10th's of of a percent the tests were reporting false positives" - or specificity in scientific terms" (yes, we're using those fractions here, that's PR spin folks.) That really translates to 1.1% of all the tests conducted according to the NYC Health Department, who on June 22nd issued a statement saying they were "changing their procedures" although they didn't say how or what to. In real terms that's just over 200 peo...
Source: Slimconomy - July 20, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OraSure crisis failure of testing Saliva Source Type: blogs

Long Time to PostEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I've received over 80 emails inquiring about when the next post will come along since it's been a while. My apologies to the over 600 regular visitors and 2,900 (+/- 20 or so) weekly visits I average. I'm at the peak of launching two new Web-based products, and all that goes with such a venture; financing, technical issues, marketing strategy, people etc.All this leaves little time to write about a topic I am very passionate about. Once you work in the field of HIV you can quickly become drawn in as you watch a virus ravaging the world and laughing at the slapshod band-aids that get stuck on a gaping, mortal wound on moder...
Source: Slimconomy - June 11, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Update Source Type: blogs

Why is Rapid HIV Testing Failing in Canada & USA?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It's been several years now since rapid HIV tests entered the market with FDA approval; first OraSure, then MedMira, then Trinity and BioRad and now Inverness. Yet we still haven't seen the growth in use (and subsequent sales for the manufacturers) as we should by now. Certainly the CDC has tried to educate the health care market and create rapid testing programs and opportunities. Canada's Public Health Service has been less than pathetic in promoting rapid testing, leaving it to companies like BioLytical to push for testing via NPO's. Non-Profits in Canada and the U.S. are advocating the use of rapid testing, clinics acr...
Source: Slimconomy - May 13, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: government policy market forces Source Type: blogs

The Split Personalities of HIVEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In Africa, get HIV and you're pretty much dead inside of 7 years. In North America and Western Europe, get HIV and you could go 20+ years until full-blown AIDS hits you. Is part of the battle for HIV/AIDS impaired due to mixed messages in the media, and resulting public and government sentiment? American, Canadian and some European governments would have us believe HIV/AIDS is simply a chronic condition. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Obama all seem to think so. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, didn't even bother to show up at the last World AIDS Conference, signifying Canada just doesn't feel HIV/AIDS is a pressi...
Source: Slimconomy - May 11, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: government policy message Source Type: blogs

Calypte Bucks the China Trend: Smart?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I don't follow Calypte Biomedical very much, thanks to a comment by a reader, I took a look at the recent announcement. Their financials are a mess and they've raised $168 Million in capital since inception and have over 800 million shares of common stock authorized for issuance. They recently entered into an agreement with Chicago investment firm Fusion Capital LLC. A review of the blogosphere shows quite a few negative experiences with this investment firm, and some positives as well. Calypte has entered into a draw-down scenario of up to $8 Million in capital at pre-set prices. Perhaps the only upside there is that Fusi...
Source: Slimconomy - April 22, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Aware HIV 1/1 China Calypte Source Type: blogs

The China Syndrome: HIV in ChinaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A nation of over a billion people. Growing almost beyond belief. A market seen as an opiate for the determined entrepreneur, an opiate hailing the old days of new less-sophisticated markets. But China is sophisticated, and far older than Western culture. It is a complex, multi-layered and multi-cultured country steeped in tradition. I've always thought how impressive it was that the people who developed gun powder use it first for fireworks. Westerners showed up and decided to use it for war.HIV is rampant throughout China. Actual numbers however, are difficult to truly know. In 2003 the government officially said "750,000...
Source: Slimconomy - April 20, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: rabbits China Source Type: blogs

Effective AIDS Awareness AdvertisingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As a marketer, advertising is a vital element of getting a message out. I enjoy print advertising the most, whether it be magazines or newspapers. I think it's the medium and the relationship one has with print material is different from television, mobile devices or the Web. In 2001 I co-created and founded the Ice Awards, an advertising awards show that propelled the regional market onto a global stage.I came across some ads for AIDS prevention. I've seen many others and developed some as well. The two below struck me as excellent representations of communicating an effective message. They scare you because they are crea...
Source: Slimconomy - April 2, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Advertising marketing HIV Source Type: blogs

New Move in the Rapid HIV Test MarketEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An interesting event in the world of rapid tests happened last week. MedMira says it has filed a patent claim for a new update on it's rapid testing flow-through platform. The press release claims a 2-step process. One might also assume the time remains either the same (90-seconds start to finish) or is slightly less. Given what they claim as the test being "easier to use", this would suggest the new platform could be a contender with BioLytical's INSTI and make a CLIA waiver and potential OTC use a very plausible play.MedMira's test, like the other market mainstays (OraSure, bioLytical, Inverness and Trinity) all produce ...
Source: Slimconomy - March 18, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: MedMira Changes Source Type: blogs

The Broader Implications of OTC Rapid HIV TestsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Whatever stage the FDA is regarding OTC approval of rapid HIV tests, the general market doesn't really know and none of the contenders seem to be saying anything, except perhaps to potential investors. It's been a while since anything has happened, no more current public hearings. The only move any company seems to have made is OraSure with hiring a VP for consumer marketing, but then OraSure sells wart removal products as well. Very successfully.From those I have been able to speak to, the consideration is still on the table. Some of us would like to see a "yes" or "no" sooner than later. The blood products committee reco...
Source: Slimconomy - March 12, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC rapid test Source Type: blogs

Onions? Herbs? Or Maybe Just Beer? Holistic HIV CuresEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In our not too distant past, in the days of the Wild West, shifty fellas scuttled about the country selling amazing cures for anything that ailed you. These "cure-all tonics" were often no more than flavoured water. A favorite was "snake oil", and so the first generation of the Use-Car-Salesman was born. Now there's a large underground market in the sales of "herbal cures" for HIV/AIDS. The claims run the gamut from totally eliminating AIDS and "restoring you to health of youth" as some websites claim, to getting rid of any associated ill effects or just helping you cope.In my travels from Africa, parts of Asia and India r...
Source: Slimconomy - March 6, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: remedies Herbal Source Type: blogs

Bundles for Battling HIV/AIDS?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Many products that are successful today in profit terms, are those that have an entire "ecosystem" around them. One prime example is the iPod. The iPod was cleverly designed to work with peripherals, such as speakers, headsets, clock/radio units. Then there are the multitude of carrying cases and car adapters. So how does that relate to HIV/AIDS?Perhaps governments and agencies combating HIV/AIDS could take a page from the corporate world of marketing. Certainly in terms of OTC products, and translated out into developing nations. In corporate terms of the battle, pharmaceutical companies are more interested in developing ...
Source: Slimconomy - February 27, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Collaboration Source Type: blogs

Bush: Blind To The Realities of AIDS?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Once again we see how politics and religion just don't mix in the battle for HIV. More broadly, the lack of any united approach to the battle proves HIV is still winning. Bush's PEPFAR program for AIDS assistance is in front of Congress now for approval of another $30 Billion in spending for programs. Congress has come back saying "less effort on abstinance please and a little more on education, testing and treatment." But Bush, being a firm supporter of the Evangelical right wants to keep abstinence a key element of the programs, with less emphasis on condoms. Bush seems to have some strange idea that condoms aren't neces...
Source: Slimconomy - February 20, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Congress Bush testing PEPFAR Source Type: blogs

MedMira's Russian GoldEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Russia. Wretchedly cold in winter, hot and humid in summer. A place of amazing history, good food and warm-hearted people...for the most part. I liken Russia to a wild frontier, although it seems to be changing somewhat again, perhaps entering post-teen angst phase. My trips to Moscow over the past 10 years have seen a lot of change. The times in nightclubs, well, those are best left to another type of story.HIV infection in Russia is high, particularly so in the Moscow Region (MR) as it's known. Russia is twice the size of the USA, but less than half the population. Official stats put about 1.6 Million Russians living wit...
Source: Slimconomy - February 11, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: MedMira Multiplo Russia Source Type: blogs

HIV Testing In the MilitaryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I've had three emails recently from different folks asking me about HIV in the military. During my travels I had some experiences with various national forces regarding HIV and testing. What I found, thinking back and going through my notes from a couple of years ago, is a mixed bag of approach.I spoke to a senior French army medical officer and he told me that in the French Foreign Legion, HIV testing is routine, given that they have a lot of African activities and actions in other high-risk countries. If a Legionnaire is HIV positive, well, they're gone, on medical separation. In many African nations, testing is spotty a...
Source: Slimconomy - February 8, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Military Source Type: blogs

Looking for a United Approach? Not This ElectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The US election is heating up and even here in Canada we're looking forward to SuperTuesday. I give a talk to a university PoliSci class on HIV in Africa and the business side that day as well and I'm wondering what the open discussion will be like! Should be interesting at least.What I've seen of the candidates and the clips on the debates has left me even more disturbed that the US government really has no idea how to confront this battle and that misconceptions are rife. I was very disappointed to hear Hillary Clinton say that HIV/AIDS in America is "...now a chronic disease..." but that it was a death sentence in Afric...
Source: Slimconomy - January 31, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Election candidates issues Source Type: blogs

Business and the Business of AIDSEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Despite the recent revised estimates of UNAIDS and the US CDC lowering the instances of HIV/AIDS in Africa and the US, the epidemic continues to spread, largely unchecked, HIV/AIDS is the 4th cause of death worldwide and may soon become the 3rd.The Denialists run rampant with claims of frizzy haired mad scientists giggling as they ran amok with aerosol bottles in what would have to have been the early 1970's (when the technical ability didn't even exist) spraying AIDS into the African skies. Yet HIV continues to kill by the hour and hundreds become newly infected daily.Yet as Denialists and others scowl over some of the pr...
Source: Slimconomy - January 26, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: WEF Denialists Davos Abbott Source Type: blogs

Multiplo: A Rapid HIV/HCV Test That Is Desperately NeededEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hepatitis C or HCV. A liver disease, and a rather stealthy one at that. It can take up residence like an illegal alien in your liver and quietly munch away on your liver for up to 10 years before you even realize it's there. Kind of like HIV. Like HIV, HCV shares the same transmission routes, even in perinatal transmission. There is increasing research that shows more and more incidences of co-infection of HIV and HCV. In a small study last year at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx last year, they found that 13 of the 288 children studied were co-infected with HIV and HCV or HBV. That's just one...
Source: Slimconomy - January 24, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: HCV HIV combo tests Multiplo Source Type: blogs

Surveillance, Counselling and OTC Rapid HIV TestsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Perhaps one the biggest issues and toughest questions around rapid HIV tests going OTC is , as a reader posed, the issue of surveillance and reporting. The obvious concern is reporting for "positives" from the tests, but equally important is negative and invalid results. Surveillance helps in understanding the epidemiology of a disease, and so recording of negative and invalid results provides the whole view that is necessary to fight the disease in question.Surveillance as a whole is a challenge for government. In the US the current system is two tiered; physician to State and then State to CDC. The latter is more managea...
Source: Slimconomy - January 16, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: counseling OTC Surveillance Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Test Players 2008: InvernessEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
My last item of coverage of the major players is Inverness. Most of the business media coverage for rapid HIV tests surrounds OraSure, occasionally MedMira and in Canada a fair bit to bioLytical. In terms of consumer media coverage, OraSure has penetrated this sector with it's oral test due to having hired a good PR firm and knowing how to spin the message with a dose of early high-level political support (namely Bush and Tommy Thompson being in their press releases and Bush making a comment at the White House.) We rarely hear anything of Inverness Medical. Their purchase of an FDA approval by buying another US-based compa...
Source: Slimconomy - January 9, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Inverness Predictions Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Test Players 2008: The 2 CanadiansEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I'm sure most of my US readers are awaiting the New Hampshire votes tomorrow; I've joined the Canadians for Barack Obama group on Facebook! If only we could vote here. Back to Canada and the business at hand, the business of HIV/AIDS and the next installment of my predictions for the players in the rapid HIV test manufacturer market. This entry looks at the two Canadian players on the market; MedMira and bioLytical.I was quite critical of bioLytical several months ago, but having watched their strategy unfold, recent activities and tried their test (albeit very unscientifically. Perhaps Okham wouldn't mind so much), I've c...
Source: Slimconomy - January 8, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Test Players 2008: Trinity PredictionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In my second entry on my look at the key rapid HIV test players in the market for 2008, I'm targeting Trinity Biotech; next is bioLytical and MedMira.Trinity is generally quiet and usually take a back-seat to the others in terms of PR pushes and making noise in the market. They’ve seen steady sales in the past, but the Uni-Gold Recombigen test is one of many products for this Irish company. They’ve been rather distracted of late with a group restructuring and senior management changes. They’ve slashed their headcount and “culled” as they quaintly put it, their OTC plans in the US, along with other products. Which...
Source: Slimconomy - January 5, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Trinity 2008 Predictions Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Test Players 2008: OraSure PredictionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A new year looms ahead and the battle for HIV/AIDS goes on. Numbers of those infected have been re-stated by UNAIDS and the U.S. CDC, more countries will follow. In the EU, government watchdogs claim that HIV/AIDS is no longer on peoples minds in a significant way. Product (RED) launches a new product every now and then but still, hundreds of people die every hour. We saw little movement with the OTC issue for rapid HIV tests in the US, but signs are indicative of something happening, and I suspect 2008 may either see a significant step towards OTC approval or actual approval, though I think more hearings may be looming.So...
Source: Slimconomy - January 3, 2008 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OraSure 2008 Predictions Source Type: blogs

HIV/AIDS Implementers: Dentures NeededEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
So here they go again. Another session set for June 2008, this time in Uganda. The HIV/AIDS Implementers are set to discuss yet again how forces can be joined to manage the fight better. The focus is mainly on developing nations, and African nations more so (sensible in large part.) I've seen their past notes and presented abstracts and discussions before. I believe their objectives are very well intentioned, and that it helps bring together some superb collective learning and knowledge that would serve the battle well.Unfortunately, this organization has no teeth; the sponsors are ineffective in policy enforcement. I also...
Source: Slimconomy - December 31, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Effectiveness failure of testing UNAIDS Source Type: blogs

HIV Testing in Canada: When Policy FailsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In South Africa, a sophisticated and largely well educated country, the President, Mbeke, denies that there is a link between HIV and AIDS. As a result of this belief, the Minister of Health propogates this myth and so political will to implement awareness, testing, education and treatment programs are often fragmented and stuttering. But the mining companies were being hit harder by AIDS at the turn of the century, and so they are today. So mining and other companies, realizing their workforce was jeapordized, had to step in. They established SABCOHA (South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS) around 2001. In New York ...
Source: Slimconomy - December 13, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: government policy Business Source Type: blogs

AIDS Denialists Part 3: The Invincible IgnorantEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I've always found that AEGIS is one the best resources for HIV/AIDS, arguably in the world. It is a volunteer driven organization that provides constant updates and forums for discussion of issues relating to HIV/AIDS. I recently read an excellent article from Iowa University regarding the AIDS Denialists. I particularly enjoyed a comment in there that summed up the AIDS Denialists: Deadly Quackery.As pointed out in the article and from some research I've done based on that article, AIDS Denialists enjoy the game of Goal-Post Moving. If you look at one of their preferred tactics tactics, they (being the various groups out ...
Source: Slimconomy - December 12, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Denialists Dissidents Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Testing in Canada? Hurry Up And Wait.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In Canada, we often say "we have the best health care system around. Until you need it." while that's not entirely fair, Canada, like many countries, and any country with Social Medicine, is facing serious funding challenges for care. An aging population doesn't help matters, due to increased care needs. But what about HIV testing in Canada?Essentially, in Canada, all you have to do is walk into your doctors office or a clinic and request a test for just about anything you want. In some cases blood is taken on the spot, in other cases you go to the nearest hospital to a Blood Clinic. A week later you call your doctor for r...
Source: Slimconomy - December 6, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Canada Biolytical MedMira Source Type: blogs

HIV: What's The Right Number?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Here we go revising the US numbers now. A third body making revisions might just make this a trend. Although UNAIDS dropped the number of AIDS cases in Africa, the U.S. CDC seems to be prepping for higher numbers in the United States. The US CDC has stated around 40,000 new cases per year. The advocacy groups are saying 55,000 per year.But where does the interest lie in the numbers. The US CDC is pushing aggressively for the FDA to make an approval for rapid HIV tests to be made available at a local Walgreens or Rite-Aid. The test manufacturers know that if higher numbers of cases are reported in the US, they're more likel...
Source: Slimconomy - December 4, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: 2 Canadian Contenders PrepareEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ConclusionMedMira has an advantage with the multiple-assay test for broader product scope, Multiplo, but bioLytical has a good product that works well, is easy and faster, and I think they’ll take good market share in the US and their recent Africa activity (which I’ve learned is increasing and they’re getting good relations going in Africa my sources tell me) bioLytical will surprise the market and come out strong. MedMira will need some serious cash injection soon and a ramp up of their sales and marketing efforts. bioLytical has shown an ability to monetize on it’s approvals, something MedMira still needs to do.
Source: Slimconomy - November 29, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

HIV/AIDS: Where are the nurses and doctors?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Regardless of what the numbers of HIV/AIDS victims really are, without doubt Africa has been hit the hardest. In my last post (and thanks for the many interesting emails) I put forward my thoughts on first gaining a perspective in terms of "proportionalism" in which to base a higher view for establishing policy to develop a more unified approach to combating HIV/AIDS.When it comes to Africa though, added to the need for a more consistent and unified approach is the challenge of health care infrastructure in the first place. There just isn't enough trained healthcare workers. Even if good foreign policy is implemented, prog...
Source: Slimconomy - November 26, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: government policy Source Type: blogs

HIV/AIDS: The Societal VirusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AIDS has always been a controversial issue in society. HIV/AIDS has defined a generation, and it has created polarization politically, socially and ever more so, economically. The recent re-evaluation of globals AIDS cases by UNAIDS is yet another example of how fragmented the approach to HIV/AIDS has been and continues to be. HIV/AIDS has evolved to a point where we now have denialists who deny a link between HIV/AIDS and growing speculation by the public that AIDS is a conspiracy (no matter how preposterous this is) of Abbott and other nefarious drug companies and the US government. HIV/AIDS has a complete mythology in A...
Source: Slimconomy - November 25, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: approaches proportionalism Source Type: blogs

UNAIDS: Fear & Testing in AfricaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Let's face it, AIDS is a horrible syndrome, brought on by an exceedingly clever and nasty little retrovirus called HIV that does some strange things to your immune system. All along, HIV/AIDS has been a disease wrapped in a package of fear. Throughout the 26 years HIV/AIDS has been stalking our society, fear has been a powerful tool that is as much a part of AIDS as the syndrome itself, perhaps "fear" is a psychological element of HIV/AIDS, and it has done tremendous good and horrible damage.The message of fear inherent to the "brand" of HIV/AIDS has been leveraged for good and for bad. It has helped agencies like the U.S....
Source: Slimconomy - November 21, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: testing Fear CDC Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: The Turtle WinsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The market worldwide for rapid HIV tests truly sparked in November of 2002 with the FDA's first approval of OraSure's OraQuick test. The main spin was that it was an "oral fluid" test, rather than whole blood or serum/plasma like the other tests. Shortly thereafter, MedMira's Reveal was approved for use with serum/plasma. There had been a test approved in Canada in the late 90's (that company is no longer around, but some of the people of ChemBio in New York were part of it), but it was quickly withdrawn due to a high number of false-positives. In the US there are several FDA approved rapid HIV tests, in Canada only 2 (Med...
Source: Slimconomy - November 13, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study shows the power of negativity and how it can affect our own views and opinions. All the more reason to surround yourself with positive people that share your goals and aspirations." Robinson Go presents Start Everyday With A Smile posted at The Robinson Go Blog, saying, "Make the most out of your health and fitness with this very short, effective and awesome tip!" Davex presents Natural Acne Treatment posted at Mr. Clear's Acne Blog, saying, "Thank you for hosting the carnival, and if your interested in working on a project together feel free to let me now. Cheers, David" pnreddy presents Study Examines Ho...
Source: Slimconomy - November 10, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: ICP Carnival newtag Source Type: blogs

Home HIV Tests: The Online Black MarketEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The Scam Artists and the OTC ThreatA black market for home rapid HIV tests? Absolutely. Yet, comparing my research of just 8 months ago to today, it is much harder to find a rapid HIV test to have delivered to your door. In a search in March of 2007 I found 28 companies in less than an hour that would ship a rapid HIV test to your home directly. I was most curious about the ability to order the OraQuick Advance test, so I did, at US$59 with express post (no courier option was available.) It did indeed arrive, via US Mail...from a KOA Campground in Vermont. This was interesting since having done this 18 months prior, the te...
Source: Slimconomy - November 5, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Fakes Scam HIV Tests OTC Source Type: blogs

AIDS Dissidents Part 2: Who & WhyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Last week I briefly touched on the surface of the AIDS Dissident movement. Several comments were posted and I received 64 emails directly, mostly from anonymous re-directs. Needless to say, the anonymous ones weren't very nice. Some were encouraging, though the majority felt I was in the "pay" of The Corporate World. I can assure you I am not being paid at all, nor have I received any advances for my book. I don't use AdWords on this blog either, for revenue generation.A consistent argument I found of the Denialists/Dissidents was that retroviruses don't cause illness in people. For that argument I have but two words: Reve...
Source: Slimconomy - October 31, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Denialists Dissidents Source Type: blogs

HIV Testing Killers: Perception, Apathy & CultureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Yet another new study pointing to what seems to be a growing apathy towards being tested for HIV. Even from among high-risk individuals and those at risk of contact through potentially tainted blood products. From articles, blog entries and subsequent research the sentiment for America and many parts of Canada seems to be that HIV is now simply a "chronic disease" that if you feel ill then you pop down to your GP and pick up a prescription for some ARV's and then off you go and live well for the next 25 or so years.In Africa testing hits the wall in terms of cultural beliefs and receives a further battering from popular my...
Source: Slimconomy - October 29, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

The AIDS Dissidents Part 1: What Is This?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The crisp autumn air has finally settled in, and armed with a warm tea I retire to the rec room with my MacBook and the TV humming in the background and go deeper into the world of the AIDS Dissidents. I stumble out of my suburban comfort watching a trailer for the movie "The Other Side of AIDS" as a fellow proudly pipes up that "HIV is some proteins found in a laboratory at Abbott Laboratories, it isn't real." I suddenly had this vision of thousands of little scientists in starched white lab coats hopping onto planes to Africa and Latin America and sticking needles loaded with an evil concoction into people arms.These are...
Source: Slimconomy - October 26, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Dissidents Source Type: blogs

HIV Testing: Ongoing FragmentationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
HIV testing remains low in the U.S. say researchers. It is slightly higher in Canada and many parts of Western Europe, certainly higher in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland given their social health care systems and routine testing practices for not just HIV, but other issues such as diabetes, hepatitis and cholesterol. Current estimates say there are about 1.1 Million people infected with HIV, and that 25% of them don't know they're infected. Women, as expected, are tested more often than men.So, will the availability of an OTC rapid HIV test make a difference? Perhaps by a tiny fraction. As I've indicated in prior posts, m...
Source: Slimconomy - October 24, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: testing Process CDC Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: Yes to OTC. No to Doctor.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One can be quite sure the FDA will approved rapid HIV testing for OTC sales in your local Walgreens and Wal-Mart sometime in the next 18 months, give or take a few months. The media has hyped it a few times, OraSure has hired a VP for the consumer marketing side, all the other players have been at the table pushing their wares and marketing budgets are getting lined up with the PR push.What surprised me was that over 30 States have laws barring doctors from conducting rapid HIV tests. My experience in researching the physician office testing market opportunity a couple of years ago was that doctors were not really comforta...
Source: Slimconomy - October 19, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC Walgreens Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: A Law Suit FiledEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In my last post I pondered why no major sales for the FDA approved rapid HIV tests? OraSure and Clearview do reasonably well, MedMira and Trinity as well. Inverness’ Clearview dominates the market outside the US at around 70% (according to the last studies I could access from 3 years ago, so this may have changed.) In large part, rapid HIV testing has yet to really take off in a significant way. I believe this is a result of many moving pieces not coming together (local politics, disorganized support for NGO’s, on/off programs etc.) and fractured financing for all of it. The U.S. CDC has worked in a number of developin...
Source: Slimconomy - October 10, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: law suit HIV News 1 span Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: Where's The Money?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I've reviewed the FDA approved manufacturers of rapid HIV tests, and I've mentioned the 30+ other manufacturers. I've written about what I see, as a marketer, as their weak points. Having spent 3 years in that business, well, it is of interest and is my frame of reference for the battle for HIV/AIDS.Some salient points have been nibbling at the back of my mind, however. Reading a recent article brought them bubbling to the surface. Of the key players in the US market, OraSure seems to be leading the pack, trailed by Trinity and MedMira and I suspect Inverness in last place. All of which are public companies and all of whic...
Source: Slimconomy - October 6, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC market size Source Type: blogs

HIV News: Tourism Revived Down UnderEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Australia Opens Up To Tourists Again After 25 YearsMelbourne, June 20th 2050, WP: Australia's Minister of Tourism & Immigration today announced the re-opening of tourism in that country and work visa’s starting June 30th of 2050 for the first time since 2025, when they closed the nations' borders except under very strict and limited conditions. After the 2025 border closing, the government only permitted U.S., Canadian and EU military and diplomatic personnel or visitors who agreed to aggressive HIV pre-screening with a four-week quarantine period on arrival to enter Australia. After twenty-five years the borders may...
Source: Slimconomy - October 5, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: Future stories HIV News 3 story Source Type: blogs

Home HIV Tests: How To Package?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Packaging for the consumer market is never easy, I took a stab at designing what a Home HIV test package might just look like, focusing on all the warnings. Careful consideration must go into overall design; colours, size, shape, text type and size, images and more. Then there's the standard regulatory requirements depending on the nature of the product (food, drugs, shampoo etc.) and where it's sold.A retailer of consumer packaged goods, whether they be food or health care products, knows they have about 2 seconds to catch someones eye on the store shelf. Look at shampoo the next time you're in that aisle, and see the var...
Source: Slimconomy - October 4, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: home tests OTC HIv Education Source Type: blogs

Rapid HIV Tests: Not A DiagnosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
What is the real purpose of a rapid HIV test? Product inserts of the various manufacturers all have one line in common (of the current FDA approved tests) - "to aid in the diagnosis of..." and there's the rub for the consumer. Is it a distinction that matters? How will it be communicated? The FDA has never approved a rapid HIV test to actually diagnose HIV, only to "aid in the diagnosis of HIV."Once they obtain OTC approval, the various companies will begin their marketing campaigns. Let's face it, all the tests perform well enough. Each one will have some false-positives or false-negatives. You can't possibly have 100% co...
Source: Slimconomy - October 2, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC Diagnosis Source Type: blogs

The Real OTC Game for Rapid HIV Test MakersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The real game will rely on distribution - but what kind of distribution?The impending PR game over rapid HIV tests going OTC is looming, as we know. I've outlined in previous posts the players. Leading the pack is OraSure with OraQuick Advance, in terms perception at least, followed by Inverness with Clearview (certainly not in terms of perception) and possibly MedMira and perhaps BioLytical if they can get approvals in time to join the pack.As much as the public relations battle is critical in terms of public perception, the real game is played in the distribution channel. OraSure has done exceedingly well in the percepti...
Source: Slimconomy - October 1, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC Consumer distribution rapid HIV Source Type: blogs

Will Rapid HIV Tests Going OTC Help the Epidemiology?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In the case of a rapid HIV tests being available in local drugstores soon, will it help or hinder our knowledge of the spread of HIV? Will the CDC know more about how HIV is spreading? Will they know better where it is spreading and be able to better direct and manage education, testing and treatment services with the health care system?This signifies the starting point of a whole new industry segment for diagnostic companies, not just in the USA, but in the highly regulated Western World. Following a test being easily available to the public for such a controversial and highly conspicuous virus, surely other viruses and d...
Source: Slimconomy - September 28, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: OTC Walgreens rapid HIV Source Type: blogs

HIV and the Bubonic Plague: Economic Boon?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Just about everyone in Western society is familiar with "The Plague", which was the Bubonic Plague of the 1300's. HIV is our newest plague, or perhaps Plague 2.0. Will it become, an economic boon? How cruel is that? To think of something so vicious as eventually becoming an economic boon? It's certainly an economic benefit to many organizations as discussed briefly in my last post.Looking at current global sociopolitical events, tied in with the ongoing spread and cost of HIV, there are, I find, some remarkable, and frightening, similarities. In the 1300's, Plague 1.0 saw everyone leaving cities and heading to the country....
Source: Slimconomy - September 21, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Tags: plague economics hcv Source Type: blogs

The Global Brand of HIV/AIDSEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AIDS has become a global powerhouse brand. It grew to global status faster than Coca-Cola or Pepsi. It is perhaps, the most recognized brand of “death” in the world. It is the most expensive brand you can ever personally acquire, for it will cost you your life. I suspect that if a worldwide study of brands were to be conducted and HIV/AIDS was included in that survey, it would rank as one of the most recognized “brands” in the world. It is visually represented to “consumers” by the red ribbon, and “red” has become a colour synonymous with HIV/AIDS now, as evidenced in the commercialization of associated pro...
Source: Slimconomy - September 20, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs

Rapid Tests: Lateral Vs. Gravity ResponseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One of the greatest things about the Web as a whole is the ability for collaboration. Part of that is feedback on just about anything. I've had several emails and a few comments on my last post about Lateral Flow versus Flow-Through tests. I prefer Flow-Through as I've stated. This is based on field experience...but...I had to reflect; and I must admit, I exposed too much bias without enough truly scientific proof. One commentator calls for a more comprehensive study of the two technologies in humid and other settings. I think this would be a great idea, and would present a better, more scientific summary. I was incorrect ...
Source: Slimconomy - September 19, 2007 Category: HIV AIDS Source Type: blogs