Drag diva Bianca Del Rio (screen capture)
L-R Bishop Black and Kayden Gray in ‘U Equals Fucking U’
Bianca Del Rio Spills The Tea On HIV
Once-A-Month Injection Approved For HIV
(image via Depositphotos)The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a long-acting once a month injection that can replace the daily pills now used to control HIV infection.
This is the first FDA-approved injectable, complete regimen for HIV-infected adults that is administered once a month.
Medical researchers expect the two-shot combo called Cabenuva will make it easier for HIV+ people to stay on schedule with their HIV medications.
Cabenuva consists of two drugs packaged together – rilpivirine and cabotegravir – but given as separate shots once a month. Cabenuva is administered as two intramuscular injections in the buttocks by a healthcare professional.
The drug makers are also testing the effectiveness of taking the injection every 8 weeks. The FDA approved Cabenuva for use in adults who have had their disease well controlled by conventional HIV medicines and who have not exhibited signs of viral resistance to the two drugs in Cabenuva. The FDA also approved Vocabria (a tablet form of cabotegravir), which should be taken in combination with oral rilpivirine for one month prior to starting treatment with Cabenuva to ensure the medications are well-tolerated before switching to the extended-release injectable formulation.
Dr. Steven Deeks, an HIV specialist at the University of California, told ABC News that a once-a-month treatment “will enhance quality of life” for those on HIV medications. “People don’t want those daily reminders that they’re HIV infected.”
Deeks also believes a monthly dose may be easier for some who have a difficult time staying on a daily schedule like those with mental illness or substance abuse issues.
In addition to treating those living with HIV, ViiV Healthcare (the maker of cabotegravir) hopes to make their drug available as PrEP for HIV prevention.
Two studies have shown an injection of cabotegravir every two months was more effective than taking Truvada on a daily basis.
News Round-Up: December 2, 2020
Bremen Menelli (via Instagram)
Huh. @PressSec said the “president honored World Aids Day yesterday in a way no president has before with the red ribbon there [on the WH].” And yet….that’s clearly been done before. Here’s 2012. pic.twitter.com/LvN90u3F6D
— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 2, 2020
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Podcast: World AIDS Day 2020
World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day, observed for the first time in 1988. Held on the 1st day of December each year, it is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate people who have died. Being diagnosed with HIV today means something very different than it did 20 or 30 years ago. HIV is no longer a death sentence. However, people’s attitudes can make living with HIV really difficult. Some things from the 1980s and 1990s are worth revisiting, but HIV stigma isn’t one of them. It’s time to end HIV stigma. During this episode of The Randy Report, I take a look into the history of the day, how the world looks at the ongoing epidemic, and where we are today in terms of treatment. What is on the horizon in terms of HIV treatment? Check out these links to find out more: www.WorldAIDSDay.org www.HelpStopTheVirus.com
And if you’re at a loss for what to do to be a part of this World AIDS Day, I suggest a donation to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS which has been at the forefront of the epidemic since the mid-80s. Take a listen, and feel free to share this show. Together we can make a difference.
Podcast: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jane Fonda, LGBTQ Critics Honor Best Of 2020 TV
In this week’s podcast: • Remembering the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce champion for LGBTQ rights, who died this week at the age of 87 • A Navy veteran sues the Veteran’s Administration claiming he tested positive for HIV over 20 years ago and his doctors never informed him of the diagnosis • A sportscaster suspended for using a gay slur on-air says he’s ‘never said the word’ before that moment • A woman denied Social Security survivor benefits after a 27-year relationship wins in federal court • New data shows the number of same-sex households rising in the US • Burger King lays a whopper on Ronald McDonald for LGBTQ Pride • Academy Award winner Jane Fonda reminds us what an awesome ally she is • And GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Critics announces the best in 2020 TV entertainment. Click here to watch the glitzy honors special on Revry TV (free). All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Lawsuit Alleges VA Docs Failed To Inform Veteran He Was HIV+ For 20 Years
A Navy veteran living in South Carolina has filed a lawsuit against the Veterans Administration claiming he tested positive for HIV over 20 years ago and his doctors never informed him of the diagnosis. The lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, alleges the medical staff at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA center in Columbia, South Carolina, failed to tell him an HIV test taken in 1995 came back positive. If true, the failure allowed the virus to progress for 20 years. The veteran is referred to as “John Doe” in the filing to protect his medical privacy. According to the local Columbia newspaper The State, the lawsuit reads, “The VA had actual knowledge beginning in November 1995 that Mr. Doe was HIV positive and the standard of care required he be informed of the positive test and proper treatment begin in 1995.” “In clear contravention of the standard of care, Mr. Doe was not informed of the positive HIV test until decades later,” continues the filing. The patient’s medical records reportedly mention his HIV diagnosis in subsequent visits but there’s no apparent record of the patient being informed he was HIV-positive. ‘Doe’ only learned of his status while seeing a non-VA physician who mentioned the diagnosis in passing during a December 2015 examination. The doctor wrote in his notes, “I looked at the patient and ask (sic) him who was his infectious disease doctor, and patient states (he) did not have one and (I) ask (sic) him if he knew that his HIV test was positive, and he stated (he) never was told it was positive.” According to reports, the veteran didn’t begin receiving antiretroviral treatment until he was admitted to a non-VA hospital in New York in 2018 at which point he had developed full-blown AIDS. The lawsuit, which requests an unspecified amount for punitive damages, claims the man’s health and immune system are permanently affected.
“The treatment he’s getting now is effective, but he’s had essentially 25 years of wear and tear for having no treatment,” said his lawyer, Chad McGowan, told Navy Times.
“He feels extremely guilty about the girlfriends he’s had over the last 25 years because he didn’t know,” McGowan added.
Had ‘Doe’ had been informed of his status in a timely manner, McGowan says his client “would not have suffered the losses he has suffered, and will continue to suffer in the future, and more likely than not, he would not have developed AIDS.” The medical director of the Dorn VA facility declined to comment due to the pending litigation.
Podcast: Cher Stumps For Biden, LGBTQ Icon Honored By Her State, New Music From NIKO
In this week’s podcast: • The Trump campaign claims the Donald is the “most pro-gay president in American history” – but don’t fall for that • A federal court rules in favor of a gay couple granting their daughter her legal US citizenship • Scientists discover an HIV strain resistant to PrEP • LGBTQ icon Marsha P Johnson gets honored in her home state • The one and only Cher raises $2 million for Joe Biden hosting an LGBTQ fund-raiser • Out singer/songwriter NIKO dropped his newest single “Try” dedicated to his partner All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
News Round-Up: August 18, 2020
(image via Facebook)
• Out: A federal judge in Boise has temporarily blocked a controversial law in Idaho that banned trans athletes from participation in school sports. The bill, which Governor Brad Little signed into law this past March, allowed for internal and external verification of a disputed athlete’s reproductive system. • Washington Blade: A gay former assistant superintendent and contracting liaison for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $2.1 million in funds for personal use from two federal coronavirus relief programs. Kenneth P. Gaughan, 41, reportedly used the funds to purchase a $300,000 yacht, a $1.13 million townhouse in D.C., and a $46,000 luxury sports car. • Democratic National Convention: I meant to get around to sharing my thoughts on the first night of the convention, but…the day got away from me. As the second night is about to begin, I have to share this one-two knockout punch from Night One – Michelle Obama’s pitch-perfect keynote speech, followed by Billy Porter and Stephen Stills performing the iconic anti-war protest song, “For What It’s Worth.” #Bam
FDA Approves Phase One Trials For Possible HIV Cure
(illustration of HIV cells)
It is made from blood cells and initiates a process that increases the body’s T cells, which fight HIV, and uses gene therapy to help those cells survive.
In preclinical studies in cell models, it has demonstrated “the ability to clear itself of HIV when challenged with the virus and HIV-infected human cells,” according to a press release from the company, based in Rockville, Md. American Gene Technologies researched the product in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, a federal government agency.
The Phase I trial will investigate the safety of AGT103-T and measure some factors that indicate whether it’s effective. It is expected to begin in September.
While antiretroviral drugs can control HIV to the point that it’s undetectable, they are not a cure for the virus.
Podcast: Possible HIV Cure, Chicago Gayborhood Getting New Name, And More
In this week’s podcast: • For the first time, HIV appears to be eradicated using only medications • Poland’s anti-LGBTQ president squeaks out reelection • White House press secretary raises eye-brows claiming Donald Trump’s “pro-LGBTQ” agenda • Chicago’s Boystown may get a new name All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report