Latest news with #O'Day
Time Magazine
26-06-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2025: Gilead
It's been more than four decades since the first cases of HIV emerged, and while there are effective drug treatments to control the virus, there's still no vaccine. But it turns out that an anti-HIV drug, injected twice a year, could be just as effective as a vaccine in protecting people from getting infected, according to strong results from studies published in 2024. Leading HIV treatment developer Gilead's scientists spent 20 years developing lenacapavir, an antiviral drug that targets a specific protein on the virus' shell. Vaccines have similarly targeted other outer viral proteins, and the idea is that priming the immune system to recognize this part of HIV can help it to generate defenses against the virus if someone is later exposed. Lenacapavir was already approved to treat HIV, and in June the FDA also approved it as a preventive therapy. Widespread use of the medication could bring the world closer to ending the HIV epidemic. The company's CEO Dan O'Day says Gilead is equally committed to ensuring that those who are at highest risk of getting infected with HIV have access to the drug. He signed a voluntary licensing agreement in 2024 that allows half a dozen generic manufacturers to make lenacapavir for 120 low and middle income countries, where HIV remains a significant threat. Close to 40 million people have HIV or AIDS globally, but a disproportionate number—about two-thirds—live in subsaharan Africa. 'Not that many companies focus on virology,' he says. 'And if we are going to produce a drug, and put our blood, sweat and tears into it, then it's got to end up in everybody's hands who can use it.' Expanding on its expertise in immune-based treatments—the company's remdesivir was the first antiviral approved to treat COVID-19—O'Day says Gilead is also developing treatments for blood and solid cancers as well as autoimmune diseases. 'We are in build mode, but it is already a significant part of our company and the fastest-growing part of the company today,' he says of the cancer projects. 'I expect five years from now you will see Gilead making a bigger impact across the world, in a variety of disease states.'
CNBC
18-06-2025
- Health
- CNBC
FDA approves Gilead's twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, offering a powerful and convenient new option
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Gilead's twice-yearly antiviral injection for preventing HIV – a milestone that the company and some experts say could help bring the world closer to ending the decades-long epidemic caused by the virus. But the launch of the injectable drug, lenacapavir, faces a set of potential threats, including the Trump administration's proposed cuts to federal funding for HIV prevention efforts. In two groundbreaking clinical trials last year, Gilead's injection proved to be capable of virtually eliminating new HIV infections when taken every six months. Patients take it less frequently than all existing HIV prevention medications, including daily pills from Gilead and another injection from GSK received every other month. That makes lenacapavir a valuable and far more convenient tool for addressing an epidemic that led to around 1.3 million new infections and contributed to the deaths of 630,000 people globally in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. The U.S. alone sees 700 new cases and 100 HIV-related deaths each week, Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day said in an interview ahead of the approval. HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on people of color, gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men and transgender women. "It's hard to overstate the importance of this for global public health," O'Day said, adding that the injection "really will bend the arc of the epidemic as we roll this out across the globe." But the magnitude of its impact will also depend on how easy it is to get, said Jeremiah Johnson, executive director of PrEP4All, an organization focused on expanding access to HIV prevention medications. Lenacapavir is already approved for treating HIV under the brand name Sunlenca, which has a price tag of more than $42,200 per year. One analysis in 2024 found that the drug could be made for as little as $26 to $40 a year. Gilead did not immediately share how much the injection will cost under its new use: pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which reduces the risk of getting HIV. Mizuho analysts have estimated that lenacapavir could reach peak sales of around $4 billion globally for both HIV prevention and treatment. In a statement ahead of the approval, Gilead said the pricing of lenacapavir for HIV prevention will be in line with existing branded PrEP options. A month's supply of Truvada and Descovy, Gilead's daily pills for PreP, are both around $2,000 without insurance. One dose of GSK's Apretude, which is taken once monthly for the first two months and then once every other month thereafter, costs roughly $4,000 before insurance. The company is also committed to supplying the drug for that use globally as the virus "knows no boundaries," O'Day said. Gilead in October granted licenses to six generic manufacturers to produce and sell lower-cost versions of the injection in 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries. Gilead also promised to supply doses for up to 2 million people at no profit before those generic versions come to the market, O'Day said. PrEP has been available for a decade in the form of daily pills, but infections have climbed or remained roughly flat in many areas. Pills can be difficult for many people to take consistently for several reasons, including inconvenience and stigma around HIV and PrEP in many communities, particularly outside the demographic of white men who have sex with men. Black Americans account for 39% of new HIV diagnoses but only 14% of PrEP users, while Hispanic people represent 31% of new diagnoses but just 18% of PrEP users, according to AIDSVu. "Unfortunately, there's still enormous amount of stigma and cultural challenges when it comes to HIV prevention," Johanna Mercier, Gilead's chief commercial officer, said in an interview. "Getting a twice-a-year injection really gives you that privacy that people have been looking for." She said Gilead aims to ensure that more people, especially those not currently using PrEP, are aware of that convenience advantage and efficacy of the company's injection. In one late-stage trial, 99.9% of patients who took Gilead's injection did not contract an infection. There were only two cases among more than 2,000 patients, effectively reducing the risk of HIV infection by 96% and proving 89% more effective than Gilead's daily pill Truvada. The study enrolled cisgender men, transgender women, transgender men and gender nonbinary individuals who have sex with partners assigned male at birth. Another trial on cisgender women found that none of the participants who received Gilead's injection contracted an HIV infection, demonstrating 100% efficacy. In the U.S., ensuring access to underserved populations will also require broad insurance coverage. While most PrEP users are under commercial plans, the federal Medicaid program is also crucial to reaching lower-income communities. Medicaid is the largest source of insurance coverage for people who have the virus in the U.S., covering an estimated 40% of nonelderly adults with HIV, according to health policy research organization KFF. That makes Republicans' proposed funding cuts to Medicaid a huge potential threat to HIV treatment and prevention access. Mercier said, as of now, Gilead believes that Medicaid will continue to cover HIV services and support. "There are pretty incredible programs out there, not only Medicaid and other government programs, that really have safety nets to make sure that people who need or want access, both for HIV treatment and prevention, are set up," she said, also pointing to Gilead's programs for uninsured individuals. But PrEP4All's Johnson said the "entire foundation for HIV prevention in America is under attack at this moment." Other proposed federal funding cuts could make it harder to get Gilead's injection into the hands of physicians and patients, Johnson said. For example, the White House's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes deep cuts to several HIV prevention programs, particularly those run through the CDC. While some funding streams are continuing, Johnson said they are doing so "in a way that would completely destabilize the entire field of HIV prevention." He said if Congress does not push back on the proposed cuts, people currently taking PrEP "could start to slip off" and HIV infections could rise in many communities.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem
UTAH COUNTY, Utah () — Utah Lake Authority is offering a monetary prize of $1,000 to the person who catches the most carp from Utah Lake to try to get carp overpopulation under control. 'When I first started here on the docks, you would look down at the water and you really couldn't see more than a quarter of an inch down,' Melanie Evans, sailing instructor for Bonneville School of Sailing said. For eight years, Melanie Evans has been sailing the lake. 'Every year it's getting a little clearer,' Evans said. She's on the lake nearly five times a week, and she sees the lake clearing up. 'What we're seeing is carp, and we can see a whole body of them which means the water is cleaner, and I think it's because of all the carp removal they're doing,' Evans said. That's exactly what the Utah Lake Authority and its partners have been working towards for over a decade: removing the carp, which are not native to the lake. Homes staying on the market longer across Utah this year Kelly Cannon-O'Day said over the last several years they're eliminated over 60% of the biomass in Utah Lake. 'Carp are a big problem because they make the water quality so poor and they're the ones that make it muddy and rip up the soil and crowd everything out,' O'Day said. O'Day is the communications manager for Utah Lake Authority and said Utah Lake plays a critical role in the state's ecosystem, supplying over a third of the water that flows into the Great Salt Lake. 'It's all part of one big watershed that connects everything, and so when we talk about the water quality of Utah Lake, we're talking about the entire ecosystem here, not just fish, but birds, amphibians, plant life, farming water and drinking water,' O'Day said. She said one of the most effective methods of carp control has been hiring commercial fishermen. 'Their nets were specifically made to catch carp and allow smaller fish to go through,' O'Day said. Nurse burnout is a huge issue in Utah now more than ever before, especially in rural areas She said fishermen were paid by the pound until carp numbers dropped so low that it became too expensive for them to continue. 'Caught so much carp that they weren't catching as much anymore so it became more expensive to run the specialized equipment,' O'Day said. Another high-tech solution they have used is traps with cameras and sensors. 'The traps actually come up and catch the carp and then they send a signal out to folks at DWR for them to come out and collect the fish,' O'Day said. Now a new solution this year. 'We developed the idea of a fishing tournament, a carp hunt, where you come out and remove carp by any legal means necessary,' O'Day said. A $1,000 price to the person who catches the most. 'It's a good thing and it helps the quality of the lake,' Evans said. Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem Open Streets returns to Salt Lake City every weekend in June Cache Coffee working to spread hope through uplifting video — here's how you can help Two Utah campgrounds included in list of 50 Favorite Places to Camp in America Right Now: Hipcamp Family in Sandy stuck in insurance claim limbo after asbestos contamination Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aubrey O'Day Says She Won't Be Testifying at Diddy Trial
Aubrey O'Day has confirmed she will not be taking the stand in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex-trafficking trial. The former Danity Kane member made the announcement on Friday (May 16) during the premiere episode of Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O'Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast recorded in New York City. More from Billboard Cassie's Husband Alex Fine Defends Wife's Testimony at Diddy Trial: 'You Did Not Break Her Spirit Nor Her Smile' Live Nation Announces $30 Summer Concert Ticket Program at North American Amphitheaters HYBE Latin America Launches Reality Series to Find Next Latin Boy Band 'I'm not here to testify for the Diddy trial, that I know of,' O'Day said, according to People. The 41-year-old singer suggested her involvement could still evolve, revealing she had been 'contacted by Homeland Security' and had a meeting with the agency, which led March raids on Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Earlier in the week, O'Day — who appeared on MTV's Making the Band under Diddy's mentorship — sparked speculation about a possible court appearance after sharing a cryptic Instagram post from New York City. 'Hey New York!!! Where y'all think I should head first?' she wrote on May 14, including a scale emoji. Us Weekly also reported that a source claimed O'Day was subpoenaed to testify at the trial. During the podcast episode, O'Day clarified the post's intent. 'I posted on my Instagram that I was here in New York and enjoying myself because I wanted to make it clear to everyone that I am not here testifying,' she said. Diddy is currently facing multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. His trial is set to resume Monday (May 19). If convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison. O'Day previously spoke out after Diddy's September 2024 arrest. 'The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing,' she wrote on X at the time. Danity Kane, the girl group formed in 2005 on Making the Band, was signed to Diddy's Bad Boy Records. O'Day was removed from the group in 2008 and later claimed on the Call Her Daddy podcast in 2022 that her exit stemmed from her refusal to comply with non-music-related requests from the music mogul. Best of Billboard Diddy Judge Rejects Claim That Prosecutors Leaked Surveillance Tape of Cassie Assault Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aubrey O'Day could testify in Sean 'Diddy' Combs federal sex-crimes trial
One of Sean "Diddy" Combs' fiercest critics could testify in his federal sex-crimes trial. Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day, once a rising star in Combs' orbit, has been subpoenaed to testify in his trial, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly to USA TODAY. Combs recruited O'Day when he formed the girl group Danity Kane on MTV's "Making the Band" in 2005. On May 14, the 41-year-old O'Day chronicled being in New York City on her Instagram stories, writing, "Hey New York!!! Where y'all think I should head first?" with the scales of justice emoji. Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' lawyers hone in on turbulent Cassie relationship In June 2024, O'Day opened up about Combs' legal trouble, telling People magazine that "there's no vindication when you're a victim of someone. … Anyone being exposed, or any truths being told, don't change the reality of what you experienced." The "Celebrity Apprentice" alum added: "It's a forever thing that you have to wake up every day and choose to evolve past. It doesn't go away. It's like childhood trauma. We don't like to think it just disappears in our thirties, but really we start realizing how bad it really is in our thirties." Federal prosecutors are expected to call O'Day's fellow Danity Kane alum Dawn Richard to testify next in court, following Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine's harrowing testimony this week. Combs was arrested in September 2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, remains in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. He is currently on trial, and his ex-girlfriend Ventura Fine took the stand during the week of May 12. In court, she testified that Combs repeatedly threatened to release videos of her participation in his alleged drug-fueled "freak offs," raped her after their 2018 split and was physically abusive on numerous occasions. What kind of a physical toll does an emotionally abusive relationship take on someone? Ventura Fine's testimony – which comes a year after CNN released 2016 hotel surveillance video that showed Combs kicking, hitting and dragging her at a now-closed Los Angeles luxury – has lasted several days. She also detailed portions of the hotel incident in her testimony. Shortly after Ventura Fine's May 14 testimony ended, O'Day wrote on X that "so many people have thumbs that are more active than their minds. Fear yields a heavy hand- It's easy to say, it could never be me when you have never been handed those shoes to walk in #Cassie." Aubrey O'Day likens experience with Sean 'Diddy' Combs to 'childhood trauma' Combs formed Danity Kane with Aundrea Fimbres, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, Richard and O'Day. The pop group disbanded and reunited several times since their formation, most notably with O'Day being removed from the group in 2008, although she later returned. In a December 2022 episode of the hit "Call Her Daddy" podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, O'Day alleged that Combs fired her because she wouldn't do things he requested "in other areas" besides music. Contributing: Naledi Ushe This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy trial: Aubrey O'Day of Danity Kane could testify
