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** Join Us This Week for Important Conversations
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April 4, 2022

Dear Advocate,

Three important conversations are happening this week: in HIV cure research, in COVID vaccines and in Good Participatory Practice (GPP). These discussions help set agendas and direct resources, so please consider joining one or all of them. We’ve also included links to important news and publications.

Breaking Down the Latest in HIV Cure Researchhttps://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xOB7mCh7S2-PpSZV__Uw1Q
Tuesday, 5 April at 11am ET/5pm SAST
At CROI 2022 ([link removed]) , a number of exciting updates on HIV cure research were announced, including the most recent case of HIV remission after a stem cell transplant. Join a conversation with researchers as they break down the science and implications from the recent case of HIV cure, which is the first such cure in a woman. Speakers will also provide updates from an ongoing trial studying pediatric remission. Join to learn what these advances mean for science and for people living with HIV. Register here. ([link removed])

COVID-19 GPP Resources
Wednesday, 6 April at 9am ET/3pm SAST
While some resources address stakeholderhttps://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpdeCtrj8sH9Fd3RweqEB3dvd5CPAhsZdB engagement in COVID-19 research, they may not adequately reflect the needs of advocates. Join AVAC and partners for a conversation to discuss the development of future resources. Register here. ([link removed])

New COVID-19 Vaccines Trials in Sub-Saharan Africahttps://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ws7kCiLmSnGZLAwlLRNe3w
Wednesday, 6 April at 10am ET/4pm SAST
Join us for a special webinar ([link removed]) on the Ubuntu trial ([link removed]) , hosted by the COVID Advocates Advisory Board (CAAB) ([link removed]) and our Coalition to Accelerate and Support Prevention Research (CASPR) ([link removed]) . Led by the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN), Ubuntu is a new, landmark COVID-19 vaccine trial in sub-Saharan Africa investigating the efficacy of mRNA vaccines in people living with HIV against the omicron variant. Register here. ([link removed])

Must Reads

Now Open Access: Stakeholder Engagement Must Overcome Tokenism and More
The ethics review process is a crucial opportunity for stakeholder engagement. A new article by AVACer Jessica Salzwedel ([link removed]) , CASPR ([link removed]) partner Cathy Slack ([link removed]) and other co-authors appears in the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics ([link removed]) and explores three themes that can make or break effective engagement: "It’s Almost as if Stakeholder Engagement is the Annoying ‘Have-to-do'…": Can Ethics Review Help Address the "3 Ts" of Tokenism, Toxicity, and Tailoring in Stakeholder Engagement? ([link removed])

Possibility of Voluntary Licensing for Injectable Cabotegravir for PrEP
Over the past month AVAC has worked with a wide range of advocates calling for faster and more strategic introduction of injectable PrEP ([link removed]) , and several public statements were released ([link removed]) . Read statements from a leading group of Southern African Women Advocates ([link removed]) and two from AfroCAB: Communities demand ViiV/GSK accelerate access to CAB-LA in LMICs ([link removed]) and ViiV continues to not meet our demands to ensure CAB-LA is accessible for our communities ([link removed]) . Then today, Viiv Healthcare, the maker of injectable cabotegravir, announced
([link removed]) that it is working with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) ([link removed]) to outline a path forward for voluntary licensing of their product. ViiV said this path will include “an assessment of future demand and necessary manufacturing capacity and capability as well as upstream requirements for potential generic manufacturing partners.” Stay tuned for our updated call to action and roadmap to ensure injectable PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring get introduced faster and more strategically.

Thanks,
AVAC

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