Hello Friend of ARA,

Welcome to the AIDS Research Alliance ENews Update for December 2009 

Clinical Trials

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First Study Volunteers Enrolled in New HIV Vaccine Trial

AIDS Research Alliance enrolled its first study volunteers for a major new HIV vaccine study. As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), AIDS Research Alliance is one of 14 sites throughout the US to begin testing a new prime-boost HIV vaccine that may provide valuable insight into how to better control HIV infection.

The trial will enroll 1350 HIV-negative men between the ages 18 to 45 who have sex with men (MSM). Study volunteers receive either two investigational vaccines developed by scientists at National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC) or placebo.

The primary study objective is to see if the study vaccines can significantly reduce the amount of virus (called ‘viral load’) in individuals who become infected with HIV. This is important because viral load is a marker of potential vaccine effect on disease progression, and therefore, a signal of potential vaccine efficacy. An HIV vaccine that lowers viral load may also delay the onset of HIV-related illness, even if it doesn’t prevent HIV infection, and may also reduce transmission of the virus to others.

Neither of the two vaccines contains HIV and neither vaccine can infect study participants with the virus. Both vaccines have been found safe when tested in hundreds of people in earlier clinical trials.

For more information about this study, or to learn if you are eligible to participate as a HVTN 505 study volunteer, call AIDS Research Alliance at 310-358-2429, visit www.hopetakesaction.org, or email Colleen Murphy at cmurphy@aidsresearch.org.

MySpace Nominates AIDS Research Alliance for Impact Award

Our MySpace friends now have the power to award AIDS Research Alliance with $10,000!  MySpace has nominated several organizations, including AIDS Research Alliance, for its prestigious Impact Award.  The winning organization is determined by a popular vote among MySpace friends.  We need as many of our MySpace friends as possible to vote daily through Wednesday, December 23rd.  To vote for AIDS Research Alliance and help us win the $10,000 prize visit Impact Awards and follow the instructions

Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

AIDS Research Alliance conducts cutting edge HIV/AIDS research every day, month after month.  Now, a new giving program—The Power-of-10 Campaign—empowers donors to support our research today and every day for 10 months.

Donors contributing to AIDS Research Alliance via The Power-of-10 Campaign can now pledge one set gift amount each month via a major credit card for 10 months.  For example, a Power donor who pledges $20 per month will actually be donating $200 at the end of a year ($20/month x 10 months = $200). 

The The Power-of-10 Campaign enables donors to pledge a larger annual gift to AIDS Research Alliance because Power pledges are fulfilled via monthly installments, not in one lump sum.  Power pledges renew annually and can be cancelled at any time.

To entice donors to join The Power-of-10 Campaign, AIDS Research Alliance will award a prize to one new Power donor each month.  During the first week of each month, AIDS Research Alliance will randomly select one Power donor from among all of the donors who joined the campaign during the previous month.  The winner of these monthly drawings will win a prize, such as an iPod Shuffle or an iTunes Gift Certificate.

AIDS Research Alliance is committed to finding a cure for AIDS, and donors to The Power-of-10 Campaign will help make that research possible.  Join The Power-of-10 Campaign today, and give the gift that keeps on giving throughout 2010. 

For more information or to join the campaign, email Gwendolyn Martin at gmartin@aidsresearch.org.   Or to give a one-time, year-end gift, click here. Click to donate now