South Africa: TAC, COSATU and allies file complaint of excessive pricing.

On 19 September 2002, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the Council of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (CEPPWA), and eight individuals (health-care workers and people living with HIV/AIDS) launched a complaint with the country's Competition Commission against two major transnational pharmaceutical companies. TAC and its allies allege that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has engaged in excessive pricing for its antiretroviral drugs Retrovir (zidovudine or AZT), 3TC (lamivudine), and Combivir (AZT/lamivudine), and that Boeringer Ingelheim (BI) has engaged in excessive pricing of its antiretroviral drug Viramune (nevirapine).

China: government issues licences for three antiretrovirals.

The Chinese government has approved the production and sale of at least three generic antiretroviral drugs used in treating people living with HIV/AIDS. The first applications were filed in late 2001 and approved in August and September 2002.

UK Commission concludes international patent laws hinder access to medicines in developing countries.

On 12 September 2002, the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, an independent body established in May 2001 by the British government, released its report analyzing the impact of international agreements on patents. The report, Integrating Intellectual Property Rights and Developmental Policy, makes 55 recommendations "aimed at aligning [intellectual property] protection with the goal of reducing poverty".

WHO initiatives to increase access to treatment in developing countries.

In mid-2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that some six million people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries are currently in need of life-sustaining antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, but that only 230,000 have access to these medicines, half of whom live in one country, Brazil. The WHO believes that, with a concerted international effort to expand access to HIV treatment and care, three million people could have access to ARVs by the end of 2005. A number of recent initiatives provide some useful tools toward reaching this goal.

UN Commission on Human Rights adopts resolutions on access to medication, right to health.

In April 2002, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted two resolutions that are important in the context of access to treatment. The Commission is the UN's leading body with respect to international human rights issues. It consists of 53 UN member states and meets annually.

Update to international guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights.

On 10 September 2002, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released a revised international guideline on "Access to prevention, treatment, care and support." The update to Guideline 6 of HIV/AIDS and Human Rights: International Guidelines reflects significant therapeutic, political, and legal developments in this area since the 12 guidelines were originally published in 1998. The new Guideline 6 significantly expands the guidance given to governments on what international human rights norms require of them in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support.

Inhibition of Dugbe nairovirus replication by human MxA protein.

Sensitivity to the interferon-induced protein, MxA, has previously been demonstrated for viruses belonging to the Orthobunyavirus, Hantavirus and Phlebovirus genera of the Bunyaviridae family. We have extended these findings to a member of the fourth and remaining genus containing viruses that infect man and other animals, the nairovirus Dugbe virus (DUGV). Indirect immunofluorescence experiments using VA9 cells (Vero cells permanently transfected with MxA cDNA) revealed strongly reduced DUGV antigen expression, suggesting that MxA inhibited DUGV replication.

Investigation of cancer incidence and mortality at a Scottish semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Background: We became aware of concern about cancer at a Scottish semiconductor manufacturing facility in 1998. Aim To compare cancer experience among current and former workers at the facility, with an appropriate comparison population, making use of any readily available exposure information.

Method: We obtained personnel and employment episode information from four sources within the company.

Structure-activity relationship studies on 2-heteroaryl-4-arylimidazoles NPY5 receptor antagonists.

A series of 2-heteroaryl-4-arylimidazoles with potent in vitro activity at the NPY5 receptor was developed. Introduction of electron-withdrawing groups on the 4-aryl ring led to a significant improvement of in vitro potency. Several analogues from this series had anorectic activity in rodent feeding models, but were also found to have undesired behavioral effects in spontaneous locomotor activity.

Canada/US: Competition Bureau will not investigate GSK efforts to stop cross-border sales by internet pharmacies.

On 21 March 2003, the Competition Bureau of Canada announced it would not proceed against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for its actions to block Canadian-based internet pharmacies from exporting medicines to the United States.

Canadian Supreme Court upholds, but limits, AZT patent.

On 5 December 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada ended a long-running dispute when it unanimously upheld the validity of the Canadian patent on the antiretroviral drug zidovudine (AZT) held by Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline).

South Africa: Treatment Action Campaign steps up pressure.

In December 2002, in its ongoing efforts to secure access to affordable HIV/AIDS treatment for all South Africans, the grassroots organization Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) initiated two new proceedings over governmental failure to act to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In March 2003, it launched a national civil disobedience campaign to pressure government into implementing a national treatment and prevention plan, including taking measures to ensure access to affordable medicines.

Regulation of the Wnt signalling component PAR1A by the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome kinase LKB1.

Loss-of-function mutations in the LKB1 (STK11) serine-threonine kinase gene cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, which is associated with inherited susceptibility to colorectal and other cancers. No downstream targets of LKB1 kinase activity have been identified. Here we show that LKB1 can direct the phosphorylation of the serine-threonine kinase PAR1A.

Genetic characterisation of a Hantavirus isolated from a laboratory-acquired infection.

Seoul (SEO) viruses belong to the Hantavirus genus (family Bunyaviridae), cause the moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and have been associated with laboratory-acquired infections in many countries. To investigate the pedigree of an isolate, designated IR461, which was obtained from a laboratory-acquired infection in a UK research institute, we determined the nucleotide sequences of the small (S) and medium (M) genome segments. In addition, we determined the sequences of the S segments of two Chinese isolates (R22 and L99) and an American isolate (Tchoupitoulas [TCH]).

Segment-specific terminal sequences of Bunyamwera bunyavirus regulate genome replication.

Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is the prototype of both the Orthobunyavirus genus and the Bunyaviridae family of segmented negative sense RNA viruses. The tripartite BUNV genome consists of small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments that are transcribed to give a single mRNA and replicated to generate an antigenome that is the template for synthesis of further genomic RNA strands. We modified an existing cDNA-derived RNA synthesis system to allow identification of BUNV RNA replication and transcription products by direct metabolic labeling.

Bunyamwera virus nonstructural protein NSs counteracts interferon regulatory factor 3-mediated induction of early cell death.

The genome of Bunyamwera virus (BUN; family Bunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus) consists of three segments of negative-sense RNA. The smallest segment, S, encodes two proteins, the nonstructural protein NSs, which is nonessential for viral replication and transcription, and the nucleocapsid protein N. Although a precise role in the replication cycle has yet to be attributed to NSs, it has been shown that NSs inhibits the induction of alpha/beta interferon, suggesting that it plays a part in counteracting the host antiviral defense.