Latest news with #HIVAIDS
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Readers Respond to Bill Gates on Overseas Health Aid
In his op-ed 'U.S. Aid for Global Health Is Saving Lives' (July 15), Bill Gates calls attention to how 'guaranteeing and pooling demand for HIV/AIDS relief . . . encourages pharmaceutical companies to compete in drug development and manufacturing.' Mr. Gates's altruism is admirable. But he wants U.S. taxpayers to supplement substantially his efforts, while acknowledging that the private sector can do the same job given the right incentives.
Globe and Mail
13-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Biotech entrepreneur Francesco Bellini uplifted the next generation of Canadian scientists
Francesco Bellini, one of Canada's most successful biotechnology entrepreneurs, has died, leaving behind a legacy of life-saving work and opportunity for those following in his footsteps. Mr. Bellini, who died on Thursday in Calgary after a cardiac arrest earlier in the week, came to Canada as an Italian immigrant in 1967. He settled in Quebec where he co-founded BioChem Pharma Inc. There, he would go on to raise Canada's presence in biopharmaceutical research on the global stage through the development and commercialization of the 3TC molecule, which remains a critical ingredient in the drug used to treat HIV/AIDS. 'He was Mr. biotech Canada. There's no doubt about that,' said Pierre Larochelle, co-managing partner at Idealist Capital, who worked closely with Mr. Bellini for many years. In 2001, Mr. Bellini sold BioChem for $5.9-billion in a transaction that set the bar for the industry and it remains highly regarded to this day as an 'Everest of achievement,' said Brian Bloom, CEO of Toronto life sciences underwriter Bloom Burton & Co. Mr. Bellini carried on leading and investing in companies until he settled into his final major professional role as chair of Bellus Health Inc., with his son Roberto at the reins as CEO. In 2023, the family sold Bellus to British drug giant GSK PLC for US$2-billion. Clarissa Desjardins, CEO of Congruence Therapeutics, met Mr. Bellini 30 years ago as a young life sciences entrepreneur. In addition to his encouragement of her generation, she said his trajectory from a young immigrant to the head of a Canadian pharmaceutical empire always stuck with her. 'It's quite a legacy of him showing us what was possible,' she said. Mr. Larochelle said that Mr. Bellini constantly displayed a sense of courage, which had a great influence on him as an entrepreneur and now father. 'He was always undertaking something,' he said. 'Whatever it was, from a business standpoint or personal standpoint, he was always trying something and building something.' Despite the many trials and tribulations Mr. Bellini faced throughout his career, Mr. Larochelle said it's worth noting that he never compromised on his commitment to his wife and two sons. 'What defined him is he was able to do that, achieve extraordinary success, while staying a very close family and an exceptional husband and father,' he said. And in circumstances where Mr. Bellini's work and family life collided, Dr. Desjardins said he honourably upheld this trait. For example, if he ever disagreed with a decision being made at Bellus, he would voice his opinion and then defer to his son or the board for a final call, setting his pride aside. 'It showed a lot of leadership, maturity and, frankly, love,' she said. Outside of life sciences, and even Canada, Mr. Bellini held the status of a local celebrity in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, the small town where his family was from, after he bought the soccer team there in 2014. Walking through the streets with him after that purchase is one of long-time friend and former Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu's fondest memories of the entrepreneur. 'He was celebrated on the streets literally like a rock star,' Mr. Rovinescu said. 'It was as if we were walking with Brad Pitt through the centre of the town. People stopping, taking pictures, asking for his autograph. Other pursuits of note for Mr. Bellini included a winery he and his wife, Marisa, established in Italy and an olive-oil business. In the early days of Mr. Bellini's career, Mr. Rovinescu said a portrait of Albert Einstein sat nearby the scientist's desk, with a famous quote plastered on it reminding him not to take no for an answer. That motto of persistence, he said, no matter the number of failures Mr. Bellini faced, became a cornerstone of his character – one which people all over the world continue to benefit from today. Whether someone has received a treatment made possible by his work, or is one of the scores of young scientists given a chance because of a company Mr. Bellini built or invested in, Mr. Rovinescu said his legacy will continue to be wide-reaching for decades to come. 'When you look at the net effect of all that, that could be millions of lives that would have been enhanced through his contribution to science.'
CNN
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Why Bono made Condoleezza Rice promise to help the global HIV/AIDS pandemic
U2 rock star Bono has been a prominent activist in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including working with the George W. Bush administration supporting programs like President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Watch CNN Original Series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World,' celebrating the definitive story of how rockstars inspired change. The four-part series premieres Sunday, July 13 at 9pm ET/PT.
CNN
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Why Bono made Condoleezza Rice promise to help the global HIV/AIDS pandemic
U2 rock star Bono has been a prominent activist in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including working with the George W. Bush administration supporting programs like President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Watch CNN Original Series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World,' celebrating the definitive story of how rockstars inspired change. The four-part series premieres Sunday, July 13 at 9pm ET/PT.
CNN
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Charlize Theron speaks out on immigration policies that have ‘destroyed the lives of families, not criminals'
Charlize Theron, a naturalized US citizen, spoke out about changing policies in the country she has made her home. At her annual Africa Outreach Project Block Party over the weekend, Theron thanked attendees for 'taking the time to be a part of this, especially when the world feels like it's burning because it is.' 'Here in Los Angeles, in the US and across the globe, we're moving backwards fast. Immigration policy has destroyed the lives of families, not criminals; women's rights are becoming less and less every day; queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased; and gender-based violence is on the rise,' Theron said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The issue of immigration is very personal to the star, who immigrated from South Africa to the United States and became a US citizen in 2007. Her block party is held to raise funds to help youth in Africa. Theron spoke out against US aid 'cuts [that] have brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill.' 'All of this is not just detrimental, it's dangerous; people will lose their lives — many have already, unfortunately, and at a frightening rate,' she said. 'It's absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering.' 'But what we also see, what we cannot miss, is the resistance. There is hope,' Theron added. 'There is power in all of us standing up, organizing, protesting, voting, and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal.' The event is part of the star's nonprofit the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.
