Newsom makes generic $24 Narcan available after pro-drug policies push 'safe' use
Gov. Gavin Newsom has made California the first state to offer a generic version of the overdose-reversal drug Narcan for public purchase through a state-run storefront, while the state's health department continues to promote a "Harm Reduction" model for the so-called "safe" use of drugs.
"Life-saving medications shouldn't come with a life-altering price tag," Newsom said in a statement Monday.
"CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all — not the privileged few. California is using our market power as the 5th largest economy in the world to disrupt a billion-dollar industry to save lives…and we're just getting started."
The program comes nearly a year after California's CalRx brand began selling over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray to businesses and government groups.
But the state's public health department sanctions the "safe" use of drugs through its promotion of the California Harm Reduction Initiative (CHRI), which works to reduce overdoses by handing out syringes and fentanyl test strips, among other initiatives.
"The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Office of AIDS (OA) has determined that safer injection, safer smoking and sniffing materials, provided in a harm reduction context alongside health education and other care, may reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, and reduce the risk of injury and fatal drug overdose," a state fact sheet about syringe services programs (SSPs) in 2022 reads.
In 2017, California became the first state to pass legislation permitting supervised consumption services (SCS), allowing local jurisdictions to establish pilot programs for drug users to consume substances under supervision. By 2022, SB 57 was passed, authorizing overdose prevention programs in select cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. This legislation further integrated harm reduction into the state's health policies.
The progressive program has drawn criticism from conservative leaders over the last several years.
"This is a nuanced issue of public safety on which Newsom's approach is here… so often, ironic," Will Swaim, president of the think tank California Policy Center told Fox News Digital. "This is like Newsom suing Trump over tariffs — the guy who has done so much to destroy business wants to pretend now he's pro-business?"
Swaim added that "like Narcan accessibility, that's not a good fit for him."
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
HIV/AIDS: Facts about the viral infection that attacks the immune system
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS ABOUT HIV What it is: A lifelong viral infection that weakens the immune system, if left untreated Prevention methods: Taking preventive medicines called PrEP, using condoms, and avoiding needle sharing Treatments: Medicines called antiretroviral therapy (ART) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a germ that causes a lifelong infection that slowly weakens the immune system. Though the infection is lifelong, medicines can keep the virus in check and help people reach lifespans of near-normal length. However, when people don't have access to those medicines, HIV infections progress to an advanced stage called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is fatal within about three years if not treated. When a person has AIDS, most of their key, disease-fighting immune cells are lost. This loss of immune protection leaves the person vulnerable to deadly infections and cancers. Although an HIV diagnosis was once a death sentence, scientists have developed treatments that suppress the virus and enable people to live long lives without transmitting the disease to others. Additionally, there are now effective preventive medications that can dramatically reduce the risk of getting HIV in the first place. There is not yet a widespread cure for HIV/AIDS, although a handful of people have been cured of the infection or are in long-term remission thanks to special stem-cell transplants, specially cell transplants from people who have genes that make them resistant to the virus. Scientists are exploring potential avenues for a cure, which could someday mean that people who contract HIV could be rid of the infection rather than having to take medication for life to manage the disease. HIV/AIDS remains a major public health threat worldwide, with an estimated 39.9 million people living with the disease at the end of 2023. Around 630,000 people died from illnesses related to AIDS the same year; by weakening the immune system, AIDS opens the door to these fatal diseases. HIV can spread through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids, although it's important to note that not all bodily fluids can transmit the virus. Bodily fluids that can spread HIV include blood, semen, preseminal fluid, vaginal secretions, breastmilk and rectal discharge (liquid from the anus that's not blood or stool). HIV is not transmitted through saliva, sweat or tears. It's also not spread through the air or through casual contact, such as hugging, shaking hands or sharing food. For transmission to occur, the bodily fluids containing HIV must come into contact with mucous membranes — tissues that line cavities in the body, like the vagina, anus or mouth. The fluids can also transmit HIV when they come into contact with cuts or sores, or when they're introduced to the bloodstream via contaminated needles, for instance. Most people who contract HIV get it through unprotected anal or vaginal sex — meaning sex without a condom or without HIV-preventing medications. People can also contract the virus by sharing the equipment used to inject drugs, such as needles or syringes. Babies can get HIV in the womb, during childbirth or from breastfeeding, if their mother has HIV. People living with HIV who take medicines called ART can suppress the virus to the point that it can't spread via sex. These "virally suppressed" people also have a much lower chance of transmitting HIV to their kids via pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. They are also less likely to spread the virus via shared injection equipment, although experts aren't sure exactly how much the risk is reduced. The symptoms of HIV vary depending on how far the disease has progressed. The virus can spread from one person to another at any stage of the infection, unless the infected person is taking ART and has reached "viral suppression" (see glossary). The initial stage is called "acute HIV infection." Within two to four weeks of contracting the virus, many people develop a flu-like illness involving symptoms like fever, headache, rash and sore throat. These symptoms can last from a few days to a few weeks. Some people have no symptoms at this stage, however. The viral load, or amount of HIV in the blood, at this stage is very high. The second stage of the disease is "chronic HIV infection," during which the virus continues to multiply but at a slower speed than during acute infection. This stage is also called "clinical latency" or "asymptomatic HIV infection," as many people don't feel sick during it. People can remain in this stage of the disease for 10 to 15 years, though some pass through it more quickly. As the virus multiplies, levels of an important type of immune cell — CD4 T lymphocytes — decline. Without treatment, the disease will eventually enter its most advanced stage: AIDS. This can come with a wide range of symptoms, including rapid weight loss; recurring fever; night sweats; extreme tiredness; prolonged swelling of the lymph nodes; diarrhea; sores of the mouth, anus or genitals; and blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose or eyelids. It can also trigger neurological problems, like memory loss. AIDS raises the risk of severe bacterial infections and cancers, including lymphomas and Kaposi's sarcoma. It can also worsen viral infections, such as hepatitis B and mpox. Without any treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about three years. HIV and AIDS are related, in that AIDS is the most advanced stage of an HIV infection, and therefore, the HIV virus causes both conditions. AIDS can also be called a "stage 3 HIV infection." AIDS is defined in part by a very low CD4 count of fewer than 200 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter (mm3) of blood. Generally speaking, the CD4 counts of healthy teens and adults are around 500 to 1,200 cells/mm3. Anything below 500 cells/mm3 is considered low, and 200 cells/mm3 marks the threshold for an AIDS diagnosis. Doctors also diagnose AIDS by considering a patient's history of "AIDS-defining illnesses." These are medical conditions often seen in people with AIDS because their immune systems can't fight the illnesses off. They include "opportunistic" infections — those caused by germs that wouldn't necessarily harm a person with a well-functioning immune system. Such infections include a fungal infection called extrapulmonary cryptococcosis, recurrent blood infections with Salmonella bacteria, the parasitic infection toxoplasmosis, and lower respiratory infections caused by the herpes simplex virus. The bacterial disease tuberculosis poses a major risk to people with AIDS, and it is currently the leading cause of death for people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. AIDS-defining illnesses also include cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, Burkitt's lymphoma and invasive cervical cancer. Others include HIV encephalopathy, which affects brain function, and HIV wasting syndrome, which causes extreme weight loss and weakness. Complications of AIDS-defining illnesses raise the risk of death, but the degree of risk varies among diseases. At all three stages of the infection, HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) — combinations of medications that drive down the amount of HIV in the blood. Different ART drugs work in different ways to keep the amount of virus, or viral load, in check. They are available as daily pills or as shots given periodically throughout the year, depending on the person's treatment plan. It's key for patients to take their medication as prescribed, because missing pills or shots can open the door for the virus to multiply, as well as develop drug resistance, which causes the medication to work less well. ART medications can also interact with other drugs and carry some risk of serious side effects, so patients work with their medical providers to figure out which drug combination is best for them. The goal of ART is "viral suppression," which describes when a person's viral load falls low enough that there are 200 or fewer copies of the virus's genetic material per milliliter (mL) of blood. Historically, tests weren't sensitive enough to detect levels of HIV below that threshold, so doctors called this level "undetectable." Studies also found that people who reach viral suppression can't transmit the virus via sex; have a lower chance of spreading the virus through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding; and likely have a lower chance of spreading it through needle sharing. This is why the slogan "undetectable equals untransmittable," or "U = U," was coined. Nowadays, some tests for HIV are extremely sensitive, so they can detect viral loads significantly below 200 copies/mL. However, experts emphasize that 200 copies/mL is still the critical threshold at which transmission risk becomes extremely low. If a person with HIV/AIDS develops another medical condition, such as an AIDS-defining illness, the individual would receive treatment for that condition in addition to their ART regimen. There is no widespread cure for HIV/AIDS. However, a handful of people have been cured of their HIV infections through stem cell transplants, and a few more are considered "potentially" cured via the same process. Stem cells can develop into different types of cells in the body. In certain cancers that affect blood cells, stem cell transplants can be used to replace the cells lost in the course of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Each individual who has been cured of HIV also had one of these cancers, so their doctors searched for stem cell donors who carry a rare gene that makes them resistant to HIV infection. By swapping in cells from an HIV-resistant individual, the procedure essentially locks the virus out of the patient's CD4 cells. There is one exception to this rule: A person known as the "Geneva patient" was potentially cured of HIV after a stem cell transplant, but the donor didn't have this special genetic resistance. It's unclear exactly why the man entered long-term remission from the infection after this procedure, but scientists are investigating. There have also been a couple of cases in which people's own immune systems somehow rallied against the virus and controlled it without treatment; these people are known as "elite controllers." Scientists hope to learn from both the stem cell recipients and from elite controllers to discover cures that could reach far more people with HIV/AIDS. Meanwhile, some researchers are exploring the use of gene-editing tools like CRISPR to cure the infection, while others are investigating the use of drugs and modified immune cells. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) – Combinations of medications that lower the amount of HIV in a person's blood. These drugs, given as pills or shots, prevent the viral infection from progressing to AIDS and dramatically lower a person's risk of complications and of transmitting the virus to others. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – Medicines that people at risk of being exposed to HIV take to prevent the infection. Viral load – The amount of HIV in a person's blood. This is measured in terms of the number of HIV RNA molecules — the virus's genetic material — found in a milliliter of blood. It's an important way to measure how well ART is working. Viral suppression – When a person's viral load falls to 200 copies/mL or lower. Viral suppression is the goal of ART, as it both lowers a person's likelihood of spreading the virus and extends their lifespan by preventing the infection from progressing to AIDS. CD4 T lymphocyte – A type of white blood cell that helps coordinate the actions of other immune cells to fight infections. HIV infects CD4 cells and uses them to multiply while the virus depletes the number of CD4 cells in the body. Image 1 of 4 In the 1980s and 1990s, groups organized "die-ins" to protest the lack of U.S. government attention to the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis. Die-ins were also conducted to push for support for research to uncover effective treatments and, once treatments were discovered, to demand that those drugs be released to the public. The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — known as ACT UP — was a major force behind such protests and remains an active organization today. Image 2 of 4 Kaposi's sarcoma, an example of an AIDS-defining illness, characteristically causes big, purple patches or nodules to appear on the skin and mucous membranes. Image 3 of 4 The public health slogan "U = U," depicted on this sign, refers to the fact that people living with HIV who have undetectable viral loads cannot transmit the virus to others via sex. It stands for "undetectable = untransmittable." Image 4 of 4 The "Berlin patient," pictured here, was the first person cured of HIV via a stem cell transplant. His name was later revealed to be Timothy Ray Brown. Brown went on to launch a foundation under his name that was dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. We could end the AIDS epidemic in less than a decade. Here's how. In a 1st, HIV vaccine triggers rare and elusive antibodies in humans Nearly 3 million extra deaths by 2030 could result from HIV funding cuts, study suggests
Business Insider
5 hours ago
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U.S. aid cuts leave $11 million in birth control supplies for Sub-Saharan Africa stranded
Millions of contraceptives intended to support women across Africa are reportedly sitting idle in warehouses and are at risk of being destroyed due to delays and funding cuts from the United States government. Millions of contraceptives intended for Africa are at risk of expiration due to U.S. government delays and funding cuts. The supplies, valued at $11 million, include various contraceptive tools meant for low-income countries. The delayed distribution may lead to increased health risks and strain on the healthcare systems in Africa. A former US official and aid worker revealed that the contraceptives, valued at around $11 million, include condoms, birth control pills, implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), which were originally intended to help women in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, avoid unplanned pregnancies and protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections like HIV. However, the supplies are now stuck in storage facilities in Belgium and Dubai. According to sources at Reuters, the U.S. The Agency for International Development (USAID) has decided not to pay for their delivery and is no longer donating them as part of foreign aid programs. This delay stems from policy changes implemented by the former U.S. President Donald Trump, who reduced foreign assistance under his 'America First' approach: USAID gives update A recent internal memo from USAID, dated April, highlighted the urgent need to transfer the stock to prevent waste and minimize further costs. Despite this warning, a concrete plan has yet to be announced. With each passing month, the contraceptives edge closer to expiration. A senior U.S. State Department officials further confirmed that the contraceptives remain in storage, but no final decision has been made regarding their fate. The situation, according to the US official, is both frustrating and urgent for many health workers and aid groups. Another former USAID official said the stalled shipment represents nearly 20% of all contraceptives the U.S. usually donates each year, adding that if no solution is found soon, the entire stock could be destroyed, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 'These supplies were meant to help women who have little or no access to family planning—girls fleeing conflict, mothers in refugee camps, and young women at risk of early pregnancy, ' one source said. ' The condoms in the shipment were also meant to help prevent the spread of HIV, which continues to impact millions across the region.' It added. Karen Hong, head of supply chain at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said her team is already working on an alternative plan. ' We cannot dwell on an issue for too long; when urgency and clarity don't align, we have to move on,' she said.
News24
8 hours ago
- News24
Graphs that paint the picture of HIV in SA
Eight million people are living with HIV with more than six million being on treatment. Behind these big numbers lurk a universe of fascinating epidemiological dynamics. In this special briefing, Spotlight editor Marcus Low unpacks what we know about the state of HIV in South Africa. This is part 1 of 3. Four decades ago, hardly anyone in South Africa had HIV. Today, roughly one in eight people here are living with the virus. HIV has quite simply become a routine part of life in South Africa. But thanks to the fact that antiretroviral treatment is keeping several million people alive, HIV is no longer the crisis it was at the turn of the century. For many, the virus is still an all-too-real part of their lives. It still ranks among the country's top killers. As we will see in this Spotlight special briefing, there is good and bad news. We have made massive progress in our collective fight against HIV, especially since around 2008. But, as positive as the big picture may be, there are also reasons to be worried. In the 10 sections of this special briefing, we have used lots of graphs and an interactive table to liven things up. We have drawn almost entirely on estimates from Thembisa, the leading mathematical model of HIV in South Africa and also the basis for UNAIDS' country numbers. The big picture Total PLHIV in SA Graphic: Spotlight South Africa has the world's biggest HIV epidemic. Eight million people, or 12.8% of the population, lived with the virus in 2024. Despite the massive progress we've made in the last 20 years, this absolute number has kept increasing, and, at least by this measure, the epidemic has kept getting bigger. But while more people are living with HIV, dramatically fewer people are dying of HIV-related causes than two decades ago - we've gone from 281 000 HIV-related deaths in 2005/06 to 53 000 in 2023/24. This is mainly because antiretroviral medicines have kept several million people alive who would otherwise now be dead. The rate of new infections has also declined a lot, as shown in the above graph. South Africa's HIV epidemic is closely entwined with our tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. This is because untreated HIV breaks down the immune system, which then makes people vulnerable to falling ill with TB. Accordingly, TB is the top cause of HIV-related deaths in South Africa. Recovering life expectancy Just what a big deal HIV has been in South Africa is clear from estimates of life expectancy in the country. As HIV killed more and more people through the nineties and early 2000s, life expectancy dropped precipitously from 63.2 in 1990 to 53.2 in 2004. But then, as antiretroviral treatment started keeping more and more people alive, it increased again. It stood at 66.1 in 2024. Graphic: Spotlight There is much history that is not captured in this graph. Perhaps most notably, the introduction of antiretroviral treatment in South Africa's public sector was intentionally delayed by the state's policy of Aids denialism under then-president Thabo Mbeki. While the dramatic improvement from 2005 onward is impressive, life expectancy didn't have to drop as low as it did in the first place. The blip you can see on the right of the graph is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant, the broader trend is driven by HIV and the recovery from HIV. A massive treatment programme Of the eight million people living with HIV in South Africa, about 6.2 million or roughly four in five, were on treatment in 2024. This means South Africa has the world's most extensive HIV treatment programme by some distance. We take it somewhat for granted these days, but to treat so many people is a tremendous success story for which many healthcare workers, activists, government officials, donors, and others deserve great credit. That said, it is concerning that about one in five people with the virus are not on treatment. Treatment is recommended for everyone living with the virus. Though we focus on treatment coverage here, these numbers are often split further into the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. READ | Trump's HIV funding cuts will hit diabetes and cervical cancer treatment hard. Here's why In 2024, 95% of people living with HIV had been diagnosed, 81.5% of those diagnosed were on treatment, and 92% of those on treatment were virally suppressed - meaning the amount of virus in their blood was below a low threshold. The key takeaway from these numbers is that the most significant gap in South Africa's HIV response is in helping people who have already been diagnosed to start and stay on treatment. *Check back tomorrow for part 2 of this series. You can also find the complete version of this #InTheSpotlight special briefing as a single page on the Spotlight website. Note: All of the above graphs are based on outputs from version 4.8 of the Thembisa model published in March 2025. We thank the Thembisa team for sharing their outputs so freely. Graphs were produced by Spotlight using the R package ggplot2. You are free to reuse and republish the graphs. For ease of use, you can download them as a Microsoft PowerPoint slide deck. Technical note: The Thembisa model outputs include both stock and flow variables. This is why we have at some places written 2024 (for stock variables) and 2023/2024 (for flow variables). 2024 should be read as mid-2024. 2023/2024 should be read as the period from mid-2023 to mid-2024.
