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WHO Approves HPV Vaccine Cervarix For Use In Developing Countries

The World Health Organization has approved GlaxoSmithKline"s human papillomavirus vaccine Cervarix, thus enabling United Nations agencies and partners to officially purchase millions of doses for use in low-income nations, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). Cervarix is highly effective at preventing HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases (GSK release, 7/9). According to the AP/Union-Tribune, more than 80% of the estimated 280,000 cervical cancer deaths annually occur in developing countries.Cervarix has not been approved for use in the U.S. and Japan, but it is available in 97 other countries. FDA is expected to decide in the next few months whether to approve Cervarix for use in the U.S. (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). The agency in 2006 approved Merck"s HPV vaccine Gardasil for girls and women ages nine to 26. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine three-dose vaccination for girls ages 11 and 12 and for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated (CDC fact sheet, June 2008).The three-shot regimen typically costs about $360. It is unclear if GSK will provide Cervarix at a lower cost to U.N. agencies purchasing it for developing countries (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). GSK said that it is "eager to work with our long-term partner GAVI as well as other private [non-governmental organizations] or governments of developing countries to identify financing mechanisms for the vaccine" (Stovall, Dow Jones, 7/9). The global health association GAVI is a major buyer of vaccines for the developing world. In 2008, GAVI prioritized the purchase of HPV vaccines for the world"s 73 poorest nations. The organization includes U.N. agencies, the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9).

Lambda Legal Files Suit Against Assisted-Living Facility For Allegedly Discriminating Against HIV-Positive Resident

Lambda Legal, a group that represents HIV-positive people, on Tuesday filed a law suit against the Fox Ridge assisted-living facility in North Little Rock, Ark., for allegedly evicting a resident because he is HIV-positive, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.The Rev. Robert Franke, a retired biology and religion professor who was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, moved into Fox Ridge, which is operated by Parkstone Living Center, in February. The day after he moved into the facility, an unidentified administrator told his daughter, Sara Franke Bowling, that her "superiors" said Franke needed to be discharged from the facility "because of his HIV." Franke disclosed his HIV status on application materials before moving into the facility. The suit alleges that Parkstone violated the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Arkansas Civil Rights Act and requests a permanent injunction to prevent the facility from denying apartments or services to people living with HIV/AIDS. The suit also seeks compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys" fees and costs. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Eisele. The facility declined to comment on the suit. Julie Munsell, a spokesperson for the state Department of Human Services, said Arkansas law allows for people who have been discharged for assisted-living facilities to remain in the facility pending a hearing if the discharge is appealed. Munsell said the department"s Long-Term Care Division received notice that Franke was appealing the discharge but that the appeal was later dismissed without a hearing. According to Munsell, facilities are not permitted to discharge residents based on medical diagnoses but that some facilities have said they do not have the capacity to provide care for certain conditions. Munsell also said that Fox Ridge is "claiming that they did not admit this client so there is no need for a hearing." Scott Schoettes, staff attorney for Lambda"s HIV Project, said that Franke was not seeking medical care from Fox Ridge, although the facility does provide medical services. "He didn"t require any services beyond which they were licensed to provide," Schoettes said. Franke"s eviction is "particularly blatant and egregious, but unfortunately, not all that uncommon," Schoettes said, adding, "This happens all across the country. We want to send a message that this kind of discrimination is not going to be tolerated" (Satter, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/13).