Topical gentamicin for the prevention of tunneled hemodialysis catheter-related infections: a randomized double-blind study.

Introduction: Infection is the second leading cause of death in dialysis patients, with catheter-related bloodstream infection being the most serious. Exit Site Infection and Tunnel Infection are also related to the catheter.

Objective: To compare the infection rates achieved with the application of either topical gentamicin or placebo to the exit-site of tunneled catheters filled with locking solution in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Designing ARVs Patent Pool Up to Trade & Policy Evolutionary Dynamics.

Patent pools for second and third-line Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) should not be delayed as they are instrumental to urgent public health needs in the under-served markets.Nonetheless, multinational originator companies still seem to perceive patent pooling for ARVs as a minefield that would offer the generic competitors lots of deeply exploitable opportunities, to the detriment of patent owner's rights.This paper analyses the brand industry concerns, while looking for a strategy up to a really equitable and free world market, without any discrimination between end-users in wealthy and resource-limited countries.

Impending flop for brand antiretrovirals in the emerging markets?

Forecasts from Country choices, South-South partnerships and Clinton Foundation-UNITAID coalition show that present policies for brand ARVs are at the risk of flop in emerging South markets such as India, China, Thailand and Brazil.The dynamics explored in this article highlight the risks the originator companies are running in the emerging markets, along with their interest in direct agreements with the generic industry for the manufacturing and marketing of ARVs.Resulting information here would suggest the brand enterprises:To look for fast registration of their ARVs by regulatory authorities in all countries enlisted for differential pricing.

What strategies to boost production of affordable fixed-dose anti-retroviral drug combinations for children in the developing world?

Background: No more than 8% of HIV positive children needing treatment in low- and middle-income countries have access to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Children presently account for about 4% of all treated patients, while for equitable access they should make up at least 13%.

Aims: This study explores key issues, implications and interaction dynamics to boost production of easy-to-use and affordable fixed-dose combination (FDC) ARVs for children in the developing world.

Affordable antiretroviral drugs for the under-served markets: how to expand equitable access against the backdrop of challenging scenarios?

Background: Threats by enforced Intellectual Property (IP) rights to equitable HIV treatment access by poor populations are impending. India and China's policy directions in the field will be crucial in ultimately affecting the affordability and accessibility of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in the under-served markets. These directions, together with the exploitation level of IP-bound flexibilities and the evolutionary modelling in partnerships and trade agreements between research-based and generic pharmaceutical industry, will also affect the outcomes of self-sufficiency efforts now at their beginning in the developing world as far as domestic manufacturing of generic ARV drugs is concerned.

Priority strategies for sustainable fight against HIV/AIDS in low-income countries.

Response to HIV/AIDS epidemic in resource-constrained countries is still woefully disappointing. This paper highlights some priorities shared at recent Florence World Conference (Florence, Italy: January 21st-24th, 2004) on how to overcome the obstacles still delaying sustainable fight against HIV/AIDS in developing world areas. Messages reported here result from selection made by the authors among challenging topics by more than one hundred speakers and have been chosen because of their value as most practical ways to secure prevention, treatment and care and achieve self-managing in fighting epidemic in income-limited settings.

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory aspects of sandfly fever.

Purpose Of Review: Sandfly fever viruses are still a significant health problem in many regions of the world, such as Africa, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, and Central Asia. This review provides an update on the advances in knowledge about epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects of infections caused by Toscana, Sicilian and Naples viruses.

Recent Findings: Diagnosis of Toscana virus infection has been facilitated by new molecular methods and by immunoenzymatic tests based on the recombinant nucleoprotein.