GeneXpert Rapid TB Test Price Reduced in Historic Agreement
TAGline • 2012By Coco Jervis After months of political wrangling, in early July 2012, an agreement to reduce the price of the GeneXpert聽MTB/RIF rapid test for tuberculosis (TB) was reached between the manufacturer, Cepheid, and pooled purchasers UNITAID, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the…
Only Stronger U.S. Leadership Can End the AIDS Epidemic
TAGline • 2012Existing treatment and prevention techniques could prevent millions of new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS鈥攂ut only if Obama sustains funding. By Mark Harrington This article was first published on 24 July 2012 in theAtlantic.com. Four years ago, President Obama’s election generated hope for new American leadership in the fight against AIDS here at home…
The Tuberculosis Diagnostics Pipeline
Pipeline • 2012July 2012 By Colleen Daniels and Coco Jervis Introduction Accurate tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis has the potential to be the cornerstone of all global TB control efforts. However, the poor accuracy of the most commonly used test, sputum smear microscopy, and the weeks-long time to results of the previously prevalent gold standard for TB diagnosis of…
Washington Call for Access to HCV Diagnostics, Treatment and Care for All!
Letters • 2012Letter from TAG and civil society organizations undersigned grassroots civil society groups and non-governmental organizations asking for universal access to HCV voluntary testing and treatment.
Poor progress means multidrug-resistant tuberculosis continues to spread and cost lives
Statement / Press • 2011The global response to help countries scale up treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is underfunded and ineffective, according to a new report released today by three medical and medical advocacy organisations. A 20-month effort to reform the Green Light Committee Initiative, a World Health Organization (WHO)-hosted programme designed to help countries gain technical support for scale up of MDR-TB and access to quality-assured MDR-TB drugs, needs to be closely monitored to see if the reforms will address many key bottlenecks.
Cepheid Pricing Of GeneXpert
Statement / Press • 2011On November 12, 2010, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and partners jointly sent an open letter to Cepheid calling for affordable and expanded access to the GeneXpert庐 MTB/RIF TB diagnostic test. Following this correspondence, TAC and partners had a teleconference with FIND and Cepheid, during which Cepheid indicated that prices for the GeneXpert would be reduced. During December, FIND announced that it had negotiated a volume-based price reduction agreement with Cepheid, lowering the cost of the GeneXpert.
Letter Opposing a Proposed Low-dose Stavudine Trial
Letters • 2011TAG and other partner organizations issued this letter about their serious and unresolved concerns about the proposed clinical trial comparing stavudine at 20 mg to tenofovir.
Moving An Exciting New TB Diagnostic from Policy to Practice
TAGline • 2011by Javid Syed On December 8, 2010 the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of the new Xpert庐 MTB/RIF test as the initial test offered to people suspected of having HIV-associated TB or multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. The test, developed by Cepheid Inc., Foundation for Innovative and New Diagnostics (FIND), and University of Dentistry and…
Julie Davids Reflects on CHAMP and the Future of HIV Prevention Justice
TAGline • 2011Interview with Veteran HIV Prevention and Social Justice Activist Julie Davids In December 2010, TAGlinecaught up with the super energetic and visionary HIV activist Julie Davids, veteran of ACT UP/Philadelphia, HealthGAP, and a slew of more recent U.S. HIV prevention and social justice organizations such as CHAMP, Project UNSHACKLE, and the HIV Prevention Justice Alliance.…
Treatment Action Group Issues Latest Update on Global TB R&D Investment Trends
Statement / Press • 2011New data released by the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the Stop TB Partnership finds that in 2010 the world spent just $617 million in tuberculosis (TB) research and development (R&D), or 0.3% less than 2009 funding levels鈥攖he first time TAG documents no growth since it began tracking TB research investments in 2005.