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In the Real Life Setting, Boosted REYATAZ® (atazanavir/ritonavir) Proves as Effective in Women Living with HIV as Men

Rome (PRWEB) July 20, 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced results from a long-term, retrospective, European cohort study, which included 1,294 antiretroviral (ARV)-experienced patients (336 female and 958 male) from Germany, France and Sweden, that were presented today at the Sixth International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011).

In a gender-specific sub-analysis, boosted REYATAZ® (atazanavir sulphate) (ATV/ritonavir)-based regimens demonstrated no difference in time to virologic failure in women compared to men over a follow-up period of up to five years.2

Approximately 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, nearly 16 million women are living with HIV, and most of them are of childbearing age.3 HIV has become the leading cause of disease and death among women of reproductive age worldwide.4 In Europe, women account for 35% of new HIV diagnoses.1 However, data on efficacy, safety and tolerability on antiretrovirals (ARVs) in women are limited, as they are under-represented in clinical trials.5

“More clinical data, especially long-term data, evaluating ARV response in women with HIV are needed to improve their management; in this way, the results presented today give us as physicians relevant and valuable information,” said Prof. Dr Norbert H. Brockmeyer, Germany.

This retrospective, observational study collected data from three European databases (France – DatAids; Germany – KompNet; Sweden – InfCare). All participants were ARV-treatment experienced patients; 336 female (median age of 40 years) and 958 male (median age of 44 years).2 The present sub-analysis evaluated the effect of gender on long-term outcomes of ATV/r-based regimens.

The results revealed no gender-based differences in time to virological failure, defined as two consecutive HIV RNA ≥ 50 c/mL or one HIV RNA ≥ 50 c/mL followed by discontinuation. After three years of follow-up, the probability of not having virological failure was 59% for women (95% CI 52-65%) and 63% for men (95% CI 59-67%). As seen in several other recent studies,6,7 female gender was associated with increased risk of treatment discontinuation but not with a significantly higher risk of virologic failure.2        

The cohort results also showed that REYATAZ/ritonavir is a well-tolerated therapeutic option for treatment-experienced patients of either gender.2 Overall, the safety profile was comparable among men and women and similar to that previously described in clinical trials. Among women, diarrhoea was reported in 2%, nausea in

The results reported in this gender-specific sub-analysis are consistent with those previously reported in clinical trials (i.e CASTLE study gender analysis) in which boosted REYATAZ showed durable viral suppression and favourable safety and tolerability profiles, irrespective of gender.

More about the Study Design

This real-life long-term study was a non-comparative, retrospective, observational study that collected data from three European databases (France – DatAids; Germany – KompNet; Sweden – InfCare). Clinical data from 1,294 ARV-experienced adult patients who started an ATV/RTV-based regimen between October 2004 and March 2007 were collected every six months (maximum follow-up of five years). For the main study, the primary endpoint was time to treatment discontinuation, and the secondary endpoints were reasons for discontinuation, time to virological failure, and long-term safety.

The present sub-analysis evaluated the effect of gender on long-term outcomes (efficacy, measured as time to virological failure, and safety) of ATV/RTV-based regimens in this cohort.

About REYATAZ®

Developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, REYATAZ (atazanavir sulfate) is an antiviral drug used in combination with other medicines to treat individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1).7 REYATAZ was the first once-daily protease inhibitor launched in Europe.8,9

About Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.

Contacts

Media:

Annie Simond, office: + 33 01 58 83 65 66

Joanna Ritter, office: + 33 01 58 83 65 09

Sources:

1.    World Health Organisation: “Annual rate of newly diagnosed HIV infections in Europe more than doubled,” December 2009. Available at http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-publish/information-for-the-media/sections/press-releases/2009/12/annual-rate-of-newly-diagnosed-hiv-infections-in-europe-more-than-doubled. Accessed February 2011.

2.    Sonnerborg A., et al. Long-term gender-based outcomes for Atazanavir/Ritonavir (ATV/r)-based regimens in HIV-1 positive treatment-experienced patients in a clinical setting. Poster MOPE223 accepted to IAS 2011.

3.    UNAIDS. Press statement: “International Women’s Day 2011,” March 2011. Available at http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2011/march/20110308psiwd/. Accessed June 2011.

4.    BBC News: “UN Warns HIV/AIDS Leading Cause of Death in Women.” Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8546655.stm. Accessed March 2010.

5.    Wilkin, T. HIV-positive women in clinical trials: Important, but underrepresented. The Body. 2003. Available at http://www.thebody.com/content/art15069.html. Accessed June 2011.

6.    GRACE :http://natap.org/2010/1stwomenConf/1stwomenConf_15.htm

7.    Squires KE et al. Comparative gender analysis of the efficacy and safety of atazanavir/ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir at 86 weeks in the CASTLE study.JAntimicrob Chemother 2011;66:363-370

8.    European Medicines Agency. REYATAZ: EPAR Summary for the public. Updated March 2009. Available at http://www.ema.europa.eu/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/reyataz/H-494-en1.pdf. Accessed 26 May 2010.

9.    The Body, Switching Antiretroviral Therapy. Available at http://www.thebody.com/content/art38572.html. Accessed 25 May 2010.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

New Thriller, WIRED, Called “Fricking Brilliant!” Novel Written by Comic-Con Special Guest, Douglas E. Richards, is Winning Raves and Taking Readers by Storm

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 19, 2011

Former genetic engineer and biotech executive, Douglas E. Richards, has gone back to his roots with WIRED, a new thriller combining pulse-pounding action, mind-blowing science, and intriguing concepts that readers will be contemplating long after they’ve read the last page.

“If you’re looking for a slam-bang, keep-you-up-all-night thriller, crack open WIRED and enjoy the ride,” says bestselling thriller author Boyd Morrison. “This adventure is crammed with intense action, mind-blowing concepts, and breathtaking twists.”

In WIRED, Kira Miller is a brilliant genetic engineer who discovers how to temporarily achieve savant-like capabilities in all areas of thought and creativity. But what if this transcendent level of intelligence brings with it a ruthless megalomania?

Former special-forces operative David Desh is reactivated for one last mission: to find Kira Miller, the enigmatic genius behind a bioterror plot that threatens millions. But when Desh learns that the bioterror plot is just the tip of the iceberg, he is thrust into a byzantine maze of deception and intrigue, and he becomes a key player in a deadly game he can’t begin to understand. A game that is certain to have a dramatic impact on the future course of human history. . .

Author Douglas E. Richards has written for National Geographic, The Journal of Virology, the BBC, and many others. In honor of his work, Richards was invited to San Diego Comic-Con International in 2010, along with such icons as Stan Lee and Ray Bradbury, as a “special guest,” where he signed books and presented on the art of writing can’t-put-down thrillers. “My mission with WIRED was to write an intelligent, mainstream thriller that would keep readers racing through the pages,” says Richards, “but also one containing thought-provoking concepts that readers would long remember. I couldn’t be happier with how the book turned out.”

For a limited time, WIRED is being offered by all major eBook retailers for the introductory price of only $ .99.

“WIRED is a brilliant concept,” adds Boyd Morrison. “I was blown away.”

For more information visit the author’s official website below, or check out the “Wall” on his Facebook page, Douglas E. Richards Author

Links to WIRED on Amazon, B&N.com, eBooks.com

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Gold Prices Climb to a Record High!

PostGoldForCash.com

(PRWEB) July 19, 2011

Today, BBC News reported that the price of gold has hit a new record price of $ 1610 an ounce. It climbed above $ 1,600 for the first time on Monday, capping a record-breaking rally of eleven days of gains.

Bournemouth-based gold buyer Postgoldforcash.com is urging people to take advantage of these high gold prices and sell their gold while they can still get a phenomenal price for it.

This latest rise in the gold price is the latest in a long line of rises which saw gold rocket 27% in price between January 2010 and April 2011.

Why have gold prices risen so much lately?

Gold always rises in price during periods of financial instability. The recent issues in Greece have made Europe’s recovery from recession seem even more faltering.

Financial or political instability means that people seek to preserve their wealth in the best way they can. Gold is seen as the best investment because it is so rare.

Demand for gold pushes the prices up.

Why should people sell their gold?

The BBC News report has made it even clearer that now has never been a better time to sell gold! With prices being so high, people will get a great price for gold.

However with the world slowly recovering from recession, what goes up must come down.

Kerry Patton, Head of Marketing at Postgoldforcash.com says:

“Now has never been a better time to sell your gold. Prices are the highest they have ever been! Because prices are set to come down soon, you should make the most of this and sell your gold. You can get top prices for your gold by selling to Postgoldforcash.com”.

Postgoldforcash.com pays amazing prices for gold and makes sure that customers get their payments based on the very latest gold price figures.

Who is Postgoldforcash.com?

Postgoldforcash.com is a Bournemouth-based gold buyer. They have over twenty years experience in the gold buying and selling industry and use this vast experience to make sure customers are happy at all times.

Postgoldforcash.com does not charge customers to sell their gold. On the contrary, they will pay for the postage, packaging and insurance on the gold they receive and operate a very quick service.

Simply head across to http://www.postgoldforcash.com and order the free gold selling pack now.

Selling gold for cash has never been more profitable!

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Daisy Rock Instrumental in Teaching Today Show’s Natalie Morales How to Rock

The Today Show’s Natalie Morales was shown how to play the guitar on Daisy Rock’s Pixie Acoustic Pink Sparkle

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 20, 2011

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, the original girl-guitar company, was featured on The Today Show. Host, Natalie Morales, was shown how to play the Daisy Rock guitar in the NBC morning show’s current feature “Show and Tell TODAY” where each host take turns teaching each other their favorite hobbies. The segment was filmed at Guitar Bar in Hoboken, NJ.

Fulfilling her dream of playing guitar, Natalie Morales had a private session with her show co-host—and guitarist/vocalist—Savannah Guthrie to learn how to play the guitar. The guitar chosen for the task: Daisy Rock’s Pixie Acoustic guitar, Pink Sparkle finish. From holding and indentifying the guitar parts, to fret positioning and taking her first strum, Natalie received patient instruction from the self-taught Savannah.

To view the entire “Show and Tell TODAY” segment, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJIFeI70Hn8&feature=channel_video_title

“It looks great – if I could just learn how to play it,” commented Morales on playing the sparkly finished guitar. The show segment led to their first live free concert in the streets of Hoboken NJ, featuring a folk-tinged duet performance of “You Are My Sunshine.” The segment closed with Natalie satisfied with her experience and declaring a newfound appreciation for guitar playing.

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is doing whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music. With a complete line of quality girl guitars and basses, from their trademark “Slim & Narrow” neck profile to lightweight bodies, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars are designed to look and sound great, and to fit the female form. For more information, visit daisyrock.com.

ABOUT DAISY ROCK GIRL GUITARS

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is the original girl guitar company dedicated to successfully supplying and marketing professional quality guitars for females of all ages. All Daisy Rock guitars are designed specifically for the female form and feature lightweight bodies, “Slim & Narrow” neck profiles to better fit smaller hands, and are available in inspiring finishes. Daisy Rock Girl Guitars’ ongoing mission is to do whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music.

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is led by its Founder and President, Tish Ciravolo. Ciravolo is a highly acclaimed expert on female empowerment and females in music. Tish’s expertise has been immortalized by her induction into the Museum of Making Music, the world’s premier museum showcasing the history of the music products industry, and she is widely regarded as a visionary in the industry. Ciravolo’s deep insight into the subject of girl guitars and female empowerment has made her a sought after and frequent contributor on national and international television, newspapers, magazines, websites, and radio programs including People, Time, Newsweek, CNN, ABC, NBC, FOX, VH1, the Premier Radio Network, BBC Radio, and the Associated Press. Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is in over 25 countries worldwide, and is co-owned and distributed by Alfred Music Publishing.

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Attachments

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Kanban for Technology Development and Business Management Training Class Returns to Seattle August 18-19

David J. Anderson and Associates is a management consulting firm focused on improving performance of technology companies. Anderson has more than 20 years management experience leading teams on agile

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) July 20, 2011

David J. Anderson & Associates today announced an intensive 2-day Kanban training class designed to provide users with an introduction to Lean, Pull Systems and the Kanban Method and how each can be used to vastly improve the software development process to improve predictability, frequency of delivery, risk management and quality. The workshop will be held at Courtyard Marriott Seattle Downtown/Lake Union in Seattle August 18-19.

Kanban is a term used to describe a type of pull system and originally found in lean manufacturing. A new form of Kanban was introduced by David J. Anderson in 2004 while working at Microsoft, and later Corbis, in Seattle. This time Kanban is designed for knowledge work environments such as software development where inefficiencies are even harder to pinpoint due to the absence of physical inventory and the constant variation in the work produced. In Kanban for knowledge work, development processes are streamlined by better coordination driven primarily by improved visibility and greater focus on highest value work.

The workshop is based on David J. Anderson’s popular book “Kanban – Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business”. Attendees of the class will receive a copy of the new book.

“I’m excited to bring Kanban back to its birthplace in Seattle for this class,” said David J. Anderson. “Through our classes around the world, thousands have learned how Kanban can change organizations by jumpstarting new ideas to unleash productivity, innovation, collaboration and creativity. If you are a software development executive, project manager, development manager, project lead or developer and you would like to learn how Lean, and Kanban can provide a useful perspective to consider the entire value chain beyond the pure software development, this Kanban class is for you.”

Many people previously involved in Agile systems such as Scrum or Extreme Programming are now looking into Kanban as a way to improve predictability and manage work in a continuous flow while still observing some of the Agile practices such as cross functional teams and daily communication.

Lean concepts such as kanban systems having been gaining greater adoption in technology departments across a broad range of industries in various organizations. Companies that have adopted the Kanban Method include Deloitte, MSN and BBC.

Among the topics that will be covered in the 2-day workshop:

Day 1 Kanban Mechanics 

Demand Analysis
Workflow Mapping
Visualization
Work Item Types
WIP Limits
Classes of Service
Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Kanban Simulation Game

Day 2 Why Kanban 

Recipe for Success
Case Studies
Improvement Opportunities
Understanding Variation
Bottleneck Management
Economic Cost Model for Lean (Waste)
Metrics

Leading the workshop will be Daniel Vacanti. He is a 15 year software industry veteran who specializes in the leading, mentoring, and coaching of teams in lean and agile practices. Daniel has worked with David Anderson for over 10 years and was a Development Manager on some of the earliest and largest Kanban implementations.

Space is limited and the event is expected to sell out so interested attendees are encouraged to register early for this event. A discount is offered for those who register before August 4, 2011.

About David J. Anderson

David J. Anderson and Associates is a management consulting firm focused on improving performance of technology companies. Anderson has more than 20 years management experience leading teams on agile software development projects. David was a founder of the agile movement through his involvement in the creation of Feature Driven Development. He was also a founder of the APLN, a non-profit dedicated to improving management and leadership in technology companies. Recently David has been focusing his attention on business agility and enterprise scale agile software transitions through a synergy of the CMMI model for organizational maturity with Agile and Lean methods.

David has been a manager and leader of great software teams delivering cutting edge software products since 1991. He has a successful track record of building progressively bigger teams capable of hyper productive performance and superior quality. He has authored two books, “Agile Management for Software Engineering – Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results” published in 2003, and “Kanban – Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology Business” in 2010.

David is a founder of the Lean Software & Systems Consortium, a not for profit organization that seeks to bring a new level of professional conduct and capability to the software and systems engineering professions. David also helped create the Limited WIP Society a loosely affiliated organization to encourage the development of a community of people using Kanban (and other pull systems) in software engineering and project management. He is a co-author of the Technical Note from the Software Engineering Institute, “Agile and CMMI: Why not embrace both!”

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Lead Astray

United Kingdom (PRWEB) October 26, 2007

People across the UK are experiencing a sharp rise in lead theft from flat roofs and this includes home owners, shop proprietors and even local schools. Reports from the BBC website (http://www.bbc.co.uk) show that this problem is becomming a nationwide issue. But help is at hand says flat roofing specialist, Sarnafil Roof Assured.

The value of scrap lead has risen sharply and this has seen an increase in theft, particularly from flat roofs, porches and bay windows. Several Police Forces have already launched local operations to crackdown on this latest spate and have advised homeowners in particular to be wary even when replacing lead on roofs.

In response to this, homeowners have taken the opportunity to replace their flat lead roofs with a similar appearing Sarnafil flat roof solution. Miss Marsh, from Halesowen experienced lead theft and decided to invest in this alternative low maintenance roof solution: “Having experienced the theft several weeks ago we took the decision to invest in an alternative product to ensure that the theft would not happen again. Even the Police suggested that if the lead was replaced it could still be liable for further theft, so we took this course of action and are delighted with the result.”

Mark Harris from Sarnafil Roof Assured comments, “Our installers have received a number of enquiries from homeowners and shopkeepers who’ve experienced lead theft from their roofs. Blooms Menswear of Wolverhampton is another example and fell victim when two roofs were completely stripped of lead in the centre of town. A Sarnafil solution was installed to ensure the same theft did not repeat itself.” He adds: “Our installers are advising people to keep an eye out on their roofs to ensure that any theft from the roof doesn’t result in any further damage or in leaks within the property.”

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Guava to Appear on BBC’s Politics Show

London, UK (PRWEB) June 3, 2009

Dan Sharp, SEO Technical Manager at Guava, is to appear on the BBC’s Politics Show presented by Jon Sopel on Sunday 7th June. The show will be broadcast on BBC One at 11:00am.

Dan will be discussing the importance of the internet to politics, especially in relation to the rise of social media – and how it might develop in the future. He will talk about Barack Obama’s pioneering online marketing campaign leading to his presidency, with comparison to British political parties and their use web as a communication tool surrounding the European Parliament and Council Elections.

Dan has been with Guava since February 2005, and now makes up part of the Search Engine Marketing team at Hurst in Berkshire. The interview also follows a succession of guest lectures by other members of the Guava team, Luke Richards and Mark Edmondson, at University College Falmouth in Cornwall in which they used Barack Obama as a digital marketing case study.

Lucy Cokes, managing director at Guava, said:

“It is an honour for us to have Dan appear on The Politics Show. The developing relationship between politics and the internet has become increasingly interesting over the last year, especially with the continued rise of social sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Obama’s success proves the importance of visibility on the web – as well as knowing how to adapt to new technologies and methods of communication.”

The original Obama election campaigns presentation can be seen here: http://www.guava.co.uk/resources/research-reports/social-media-election-political-campaigns/

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About Guava

For further information please contact:

Lucy Cokes

Guava

08700 630707

Guava is a fresh thinking, digital marketing agency specialising in Search Engine Marketing, Web Development, SEO, Social Media and PPC in the UK. Part of the pan-European Guava group with over 200 employees, the UK division is headed up by UK CEO, Graeme Radford with offices in Berkshire and Cornwall. Current Guava clients include Confused.com, Black & Decker and The Royal Mail.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.