Essential Medicines News

Lawrence Altman, “Tests of Drug to Block H.I.V. Infection Are Halted Over Safety” New York Times,  1 February 2007.
The microbicide trials involved a chemical, cellulose sulfate or Ushercell. One of the latest trials found an increased risk of H.I.V. infection among women who used cellulose sulfate compared with those who used a placebo gel. The decision to […]

Michael Wines, “Virulent TB in South Africa May Imperil Millions”  New York Times, 28 January 2007.
A virulent strain of tuberculosis has killed many in South Africa over the past year and may be spreading throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
“ Several expressed concern at what they called South Africa’s sluggish response to a health emergency that, left unchecked, could prove hugely […]

Erika Check, “The Treasure of Mumbai,” Wired. December 2006.
Cipla is an Indian pharmaceutical company that took advantage of past Indian drug patent laws that made patents apply not to the chemical compounds themselves but to the processes used to manufacture them. In India, Cipla was able to sell its own version of other company’s drugs […]

Coimbra Sirica and Bee Wuethrich, “Rotavirus’ Rise from Obscurity in Latin America,” field note, Global Health Council, 8 January 2007.
Latin American countries have quickly adopted the rotavirus vaccine and are making it part of their childhood vaccination programs. Communications strategies played a key role in increasing the speed of vaccine adoption through bringing together […]