There are tens of thousands of these non-responders in the U.S., whose low CD4 numbers put them at much higher risk of heart attacks, stroke, cancers, secondary infections such as tuberculosis, and death. And yet, drug companies and researchers aren’t actively pursuing new treatments that would boost their immunity, leaving people like Vergel feeling neglected.

In view of recent changes in the Ministry of Health’s Department of Surveillance, Prevention and Control of STIs, HIV and Viral Hepatitis of the Ministry of Health, ABIA wishes to express concerns regarding the sustainability STIs and HIV/AIDS control policies.

While many countries, including in Southeast Asia, have seen a fall in new HIV infections, the Philippines has seen a sharp rise.
Bureaucracy, a conservative society and the Catholic Church are the main stumbling blocks to effective action.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who’s widely expected to run for president in 2020, introduced a bold piece of legislation Tuesday that seeks to break up generic drug “cartels” by allowing the U.S. government to manufacture its own drugs.