Aids Treatment Activists Coalition

DRUG DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (DDC): THE DRUG DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS ATAC'S PRINCIPAL COMMITTEE. THE DDC WORKS WITH GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY TO EXPEDITE AND PROMOTE ETHICAL HIV RESEARCH. DURING 2021, THE DDC ENGAGED WITH 4 MAJOR HIV PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, GILEAD SCIENCES, JANSSEN, MERCK, AND VIIV HEALTHCARE. THE TOPICS OF THESE CONFERENCES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:- NEW DRUGS IN THE PIPELINE WITH BETTER EFFICACY, SAFETY PROFILES, LONG-ACTING AGENTS, AND EASE OF ADMINISTRATION.- CONTINUING SAFETY AND EFFICACY UPDATES ON APPROVED DRUGS, INCLUDING THE STATUS OF PHASE IV POST-MARKETING STUDIES .- THE DESIGN OF CLINICAL TRIALS FOR BOTH NAVE AND HEAVILY TREATMENT EXPERIENCED HIV PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH DRUG RESISTANT MUTATIONS. - THE NECESSITY FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED PEOPLE IN CLINICAL TRIALS AND THE NECESSITY OF CONDUCTING SPECIFIC DRUG-DRUG INTERACTION STUDIES WITH NEW COMPOUNDS TO ENSURE UNDERREPRESENTED PEOPLE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR TRIALS AND CAN PARTICIPATE SAFELY- THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION AMONG HIV DRUG COMPANIES SO THAT FIXED DOSED COMBINATIONS OF THE BEST DRUG COCKTAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.- EXPANDED ACCESS PROGRAMS TO MAKE PROMISING NEW DRUGS AVAILABLE TO THE MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT PATIENTS THAT NEED NEW DRUGS THE MOST.- NEW STRATEGIES AND THERAPIES FOR ERADICATING HIV VIRAL RESERVOIRS, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO EITHER A VIRTUAL CURE OR A STERILIZING CURE.- STRATEGIES FOR TREATING CO-MORBIDITIES, AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES DEALING WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION.- AGING WITH HIV AND MULTIPLE COMPLICATIONS INVOLVED. COLLABORATIONS:THE DDC CONTINUED WORKING WITH OTHER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AIDS ADVOCACY GROUPS, COLLABORATING WITH TREATMENT ACTION GROUP, POSITIVELY AWARE, AVAC, NASTAD, NATAP, AND ALSO WITH OUR EUROPEAN COUNTERPART, THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD (ECAB), PART OF THE EUROPEAN AIDS TREATMENT GROUP (EATG). DDC MEMBERS CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE WITH ECAB/EATG MEMBERS IN MEETINGS WITH HIV DRUG COMPANIES. IN ADDITION, ATAC CONTINUES TO BUILD A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MARTIN DELANEY CURE COLLABORATORIES AT VARIOUS ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.PROGRAMS:IN 2021, ATAC COLLABORATED WITH SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND ASSEMBLED A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS EXPERTISES TO CREATE A CUREICULUM PROGRAM. ATAC INVESTED RESOURCES TO CONDUCT THE PROJECT. THE CUREICULUM CREATED IS A DECK/PROGRAM THAT VARIOUS GROUPS, CBOS, AND INDIVIDUALS CAN USE TO CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS AND FORUMS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY ON RESEARCH AND THE WORK BEING CONDUCTED TOWARD AN HIV CURE. THIS IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY USE.