NEW YORK (Reuters) ? When Jerry Sandusky waived his right to confront his accusers at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the former Penn State football coach passed up a potentially valuable opportunity to bolster his defense.
But strategically, it may have been his best option, according to legal experts.
The announcement of the waiver was made before a packed courtroom in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania just before the hearing was to begin. Some of Sandusky's accusers were expected to testify.
In Pennsylvania, preliminary hearings are generally offered to defendants arrested on criminal charges. In some cases, as in the Sandusky matter, it comes after a grand jury has issued its report on evidence gathered by the government. The hearings give a judge the chance to evaluate the evidence. They also provide the defense an opportunity a look at the government's case and question its witnesses.
At both the grand jury and the preliminary hearing stages, the questions tend to be the same: was a crime committed and was the defendant probably involved?
In Sandusky's case, the questions turn on whether or not the former coach molested 10 boys over more than a decade. By waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, Sandusky declined to challenge whether the government had enough evidence to proceed to trial.
Though Sandusky told reporters after the hearing that he and his lawyers intend "to stay the course, to fight four quarters," his actions contradicted that statement, said Steven Fairlie, a criminal defense attorney based in North Wales, Pennsylvania who is not involved in the case. Sandusky gave up a chance to cross-examine his accusers, said Fairlie. In essence, Sandusky "skipped a quarter," said Fairlie.
There are several advantages to participating in a preliminary hearing for defendants, according to legal experts. Defendants can assess the witnesses' credibility and their ability to hold up to cross-examination. The hearings can also create an opportunity to exploit inconsistencies with what witnesses said before the grand jury, said Lisa Friel, former chief off the Manhattan District Attorney's Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit.
"Given that no human being ever related an event that happens to them the same way every time they say it, just by making them say it again and againexploits the possibility of inconsistencies at trial," said Friel.
But dispensing with the hearing may have been the best option, experts said. Sandusky's public image, which has already suffered from the charges, could have taken another hit if alleged victims had told emotional stories.
While no television broadcasts or photos were to be allowed in the courtroom, media would have reported the stories extensively.
"I think they weighed those two things and decided that the advantage they might have gotten out of going forward with a hearing was outweighed by how bad they were going to look in the media," said Friel.
Since many sexual abuse cases do not involve physical evidence, they often come down to credibility contests. But under Pennsylvania law, judges are not allowed to consider a witness's credibility in deciding whether to allow a case to move forward at the preliminary hearing stage.
"Given that there are so many victims, they didn't have a chance of prevailing on the hearing or perhaps intimidating the witnesses into not going forward by insisting on the hearing," said Friel.
When defendants waive their right to a preliminary hearing, it can signal that they are poised to engage in plea negotiations. A government prosecutor denied that those kinds of talks have taken place. But Jeff Lindy, a criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia, said that the decision to waive the hearing could come into play later.
"If there have been conversations in the back room (by prosecutors who say) 'hey look if you waive and do us the courtesy and not force us to put these kids on the witness stand, we will favorably consider it if we engage in plea negotiations down the road," said Lindy.
(Reporting by Andrew Longstreth; Editing by Greg McCune)
LONDON (Reuters) ? Police announced another arrest on Wednesday in an investigation into illegal telephone hacking, which has forced Rupert Murdoch to shut Britain's most-read weekly newspaper and rocked the country's media and political elite.
Britain's media industry, politicians and police have been hit this year by revelations that journalists and private investigators illegally intercepted mobile phone voicemail messages to get gossip for stories. Detectives are also looking into whether reporters paid police for information.
The case forced Murdoch's News Corp to shut the News of the World tabloid in July. Top London police officers have resigned and Prime Minister David Cameron's media advisor - a former News of the World editor - quit and was arrested.
A 41-year-old man has been detained in London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept voicemail messages and perverting the course of justice, police said. He was being held at a south London police station.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman gave no further details about the arrested man, other than to say he was not a police officer. Police have made about 20 arrests in the phone hacking case so far.
Suspected targets of the telephone hacking at the News of the World include celebrities and politicians, families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and crime victims, including a missing schoolgirl who was later found dead.
The scandal forced Murdoch's News Corp to abandon plans to take complete control over Britain's BSkyB satellite TV broadcaster, and has put his son James, the executive in charge of UK operations, under fire in parliamentary hearings.
Cameron has established an inquiry into press practices, which in recent weeks has heard testimony from movie stars, politicians and crime victims complaining that they have been hounded by reporters whose methods they believe are illegal.
FILE - In this Aug. 7, 1997 file photo, FIFA president Joao Havelange speaks at a press conference in Rio De Janeiro. The Associated Press has learned that longtime Brazilian member Joao Havelange has resigned by letter Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, from the IOC, just days before facing suspension in a corruption case stemming from his days as president of FIFA. (AP Photo/Renzo Gostoli, File )
FILE - In this Aug. 7, 1997 file photo, FIFA president Joao Havelange speaks at a press conference in Rio De Janeiro. The Associated Press has learned that longtime Brazilian member Joao Havelange has resigned by letter Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, from the IOC, just days before facing suspension in a corruption case stemming from his days as president of FIFA. (AP Photo/Renzo Gostoli, File )
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2009 file photo, Joao Havelange, the former FIFA President, is embraced by Rio 2016 bid president Carlos Arthur Nuzman, right, during the Rio 2016 bid presentation at the 121st International Olympic Committee session at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. The Associated Press has learned that longtime Brazilian member Joao Havelange has resigned by letter Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, from the IOC, just days before facing suspension in a corruption case stemming from his days as president of FIFA. (AP Photo/Claus Bjoern Larsen, Polfoto, file) DENMARK OUT
ZURICH (AP) ? FIFA says former president Joao Havelange has resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that he had resigned days before he faced possible suspension. The 95-year-old Brazilian official was the Olympic body's longest-standing member. The IOC was preparing to rule on claims he took kickback payments while he was the FIFA president from 1974-98.
FIFA says in a statement to the AP it has "taken note" of Havelange's resignation, and "the fact that the IOC has closed the case accordingly."
FIFA says it "cannot speculate on any decisions made by Mr. Havelange" regarding his status as honorary president. The FIFA congress appointed him to the position in 1998.
On the border, the hazy chirping of birds of a lazy Sunday morning, I lay here trying not to wake up too fast. And in that delicious world of memories old and newly created, I was back in Cambridge in my friend's back yard listening to him talk to his friend James Taylor. I knew James' sister from school, but only knew of him. Now, in that tween world, I realize he was on his way or just back from the White Album.
Tottenham claimed a club record-equalling sixth successive Barclays Premier League win as they eased to a 3-0 victory over 10-man Bolton at White Hart Lane.
Gareth Bale tapped home a Luka Modric corner to open the scoring after six minutes and then removed his boot in front of the Bolton fans as a tribute to former Wales manager and Trotters player Gary Speed.
Gary Cahill was given a very harsh red card for a foul on Scott Parker in the 17th minute and Spurs dominated from then on, adding second-half goals from Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon to seal the comfortable win which stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches.
The result further enhanced Tottenham's chances of claiming a top-four place and kept them within seven points of leaders Manchester City, who have played one more game.
After a minute's applause for former Trotters player Speed, Spurs showed their class from the start and took just six minutes to score.
Zat Knight's sliding block on Lennon deflected the winger's shot behind and Bale sneaked ahead of his marker to tap home at the near post from the resulting corner.
Bolton's afternoon went from bad to worse in the 18th minute when Cahill was sent off for a foul on Parker.
Parker dispossessed Cahill on the halfway line and ran 20 yards down the left flank before the defender clattered into him from behind. Referee Stuart Attwell ruled that Parker was in a goalscoring position, and gave the centre-half a straight red.
Spurs hit Bolton on the counter-attack in the 50th minute to make it 2-0. Lennon cut in from the right flank and jinked past two defenders before firing past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Defoe made it 3-0 as he scored his eighth of the season. Bale flicked on Modric's corner at the near post and the England striker beat his marker to score from four yards.
The Michigan House Education Committee approved lifting several restrictions on the number, spacing and style of charter schools. House Republicans favored the bill, but it still has to pass Senate democrats who oppose it, says CBS News Detroit. Here's a Q-and-A about charter schools and public school academies in Michigan.
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are public schools that are owned and governed by private organizations or universities. National Charter School Resource Center defines charter schools as "independently operated schools that are allowed to operate with more autonomy than traditional public schools in exchange for increased accountability." Charter schools are also referred to as PSAs (Public School Academy). The Michigan Department of Education says they are held to the same standards as other public schools, including open vs. selective enrollment, anti-discrimination practices, immunizations and teacher certification. The perks of charters schools, supporters say, are freedom to make more educational decisions and accountability based on student needs not state-mandated guidelines.
How are charter schools funded?
With Schools of Choice provisions in the State School Aid Act, parents may choose where to send their children. With the child goes all or most of his per-student state funding vouchers. Governing organizations also invest money and apply for grants, but state dollars are the primary source of income. Charter schools are in competition with each other and with public schools for ADA (average daily enrollment) funds.
How does a charter school evolve?
As PBS explains, "A group of people--educators, parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs or others - write the charter plan describing the school's guiding principles, governance structure, and applicable accountability measures. If the state approves the charter, the state funds the charter on a per pupil basis."
What charter school restrictions are changing in Michigan?
Most states, including Michigan have placed restrictions on how many charters can operate in an area. Currently, Michigan has 255 charter schools, but if the measure passes congress, as it's expected to by the end of the year, that cap may be lifted. Other legislation lifts some restrictions on cyber schools.
Why the debate over more charter schools?
While charter schools were initially operated by colleges and educational institutions, charters are now available to private for-profit groups. Opponents are concerned that profit-based charters with a vested interest and access to public funds negatively impacts quality of education. Michigan Parents for Schools says that further that the charter school bills would prevent teachers from unionizing and make it easier for administrators to hire from independent contracting groups rather than hiring teachers directly.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about people, places, events and issues in her native "Pure Michigan."
New child-adapted Chagas disease treatment approved for registrationPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Oliver Yun oyun@dndi.org 646-266-5216 Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
This release is available in Portuguese and Spanish.
Rio de Janeiro and Recife, Brazil, and Geneva, Switzerland 2 December 2011 -- Today, at the occasion of the 4th DNDi Partners' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr Carlos Gadelha, Secretary of Science, Technology and Strategic Products, Brazilian Ministry of Health, announced that Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) granted registration of a new paediatric dosage form of benznidazole, developed through a partnership between the Pernambuco State Pharmaceutical Laboratory (LAFEPE) of Brazil and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). Registration of this child-adapted formulation of benznidazole will be published on 12 December 2011.
This new tablet means easier-to-administer and safer treatment of Chagas disease in infants and young children under the age of two, as they will receive accurate dosage.
Until today, benznidazole was available only as a 100-mg tablet for adults. Treatment for young children required cutting adult pills into tiny slivers up to 12 pieces depending on the child's weight and crushing and mixing them with water or juice, to be administered twice a day for 60 days. This difficult and inefficient method often results in improper dosing, risks of increased side-effects or ineffective treatment, and treatment stoppages.
Chagas disease infects an estimated 8 to 10 million people, mostly in Latin America, and kills some 12,000 people each year, making it the leading parasitic killer in the Americas, where it causes more deaths than malaria. The Chagas parasite is primarily transmitted via the bite of the blood-sucking triatome bug, widely known as the 'kissing bug', which is often found in poor housing conditions. In addition to blood transfusion, organ transplant, or ingesting infected food, the parasite is also transmitted during pregnancy from mother to child.
This new dosage form for children represents real progress for several reasons. Children are at especially high risk of infection, with a majority of them born from infected mothers. It is known that early treatment using benznidazole in the first year of life can eliminate the parasite in more than 90% of infected newborns. Thus, babies infected with Chagas disease will benefit the most from this new paediatric tablet.
'Thousands of mothers with Chagas disease-infected babies will welcome this as more than just a pill', says Manuel Gutirrez, President of the International Federation of Chagas Patients. 'Their voices have finally been heard.'
The new 12.5-mg tablet is easily dispersible (disintegrated) and adapted for babies and children up to two years of age (20 kg body weight). Treatment is designed to use one, two, or three tablets, depending on weight (recommended dosage, 5-10 mg/kg bodyweight/day).
'The presentation of this paediatric dosage form of benznidazole, as a final result of the collaborative project between DNDi and LAFEPE, opens possibilities for effective treatment [] for thousands of children', says Dr Mirta Roses Periago, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 'From now on, hope of an early cure for infection of the parasite that causes Chagas disease is a wonderful reality.'
Tools to facilitate implementation of and access to the new treatment include a Demand Forecast, a Procurement Guide, and a Tool Box providing training and educational materials for doctors, other health professionals, mothers, and caregivers regarding appropriate use of the treatment.
In 2008, DNDi and LAFEPE entered a joint development agreement for this dosage form. The new tablet will be produced by LAFEPE, a public pharmaceutical manufacturer run by the State of Pernambuco in Brazil and the sole global producer of benznidazole.
'We will exert all efforts, regarding commercial aspects, towards rapid patient access of this drug', says Luciano Vasquez, President of LAFEPE. 'It will be offered at cost to all public health institutions, including the Ministry of Health of Brazil.' Indeed, the paediatric dosage form will also be made available at cost to non-governmental organizations and philanthropic institutions.
The new paediatric dosage form has been granted registration from Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), and DNDi is collaborating with LAFEPE to make the drug widely available, notably by working to register the drug in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay priority countries where Chagas disease prevalence is high and treatment is urgently needed.
'At a time when efforts are being made to secure production of benznidazole, we must ensure that this new product is made available in all endemic areas and that treatment of children is rapidly expanded, in addition to the treatment of adults', says Dr Bernard Pcoul, Executive Director of DNDi. 'With this new tablet, we can reach a turning point for the treatment of children infected with Chagas disease and we have to move rapidly to get the drug to them.'
###
The project received funding support from the Department for International Development (DFID), UK; the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), The Netherlands; Mdecins Sans Frontires/Doctors without Borders (International, Italy, Brazil); the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Spain; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Switzerland; the United States Agency for International Development, via the 4th Sector Health Project implemented by Abt Associates, Inc.; Swiss private foundations and individual donors.
About Chagas Disease
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) infects an estimated 8 to 10 million people, mostly in Latin America, where it is endemic in 21 countries. It kills some 12,000 people each year, making it the leading parasitic killer in the Americas. The people most affected by the disease are very poor and live in inadequate housing conditions and often have little access to healthcare. Cases are also rising in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas disease starts with an early, acute stage lasting about two months, and is followed by a late, chronic stage lasting through lifetime, in which up to 30% of patients develop heart damage and up to 10% may have severe damage to their digestive system. In early adulthood, patients with these symptoms ultimately die, usually from heart damage. The Chagas parasite is primarily transmitted via the bite of the blood-sucking triatome bug, sometimes called the 'kissing bug'. Chagas is also transmitted by blood transfusion, organ transplantation, oral ingestion, or during pregnancy from mother to newborn. The latter, congenital Chagas disease, is considered to represent the most important mode of transmission of the coming years, and it is estimated that over 14,000 new such cases occur annually.
About LAFEPE
Pernambuco State Pharmaceutical Laboratory (Laboratrio Farmacutico do Estado de Pernambuco; LAFEPE) is the second largest public laboratory in Brazil. LAFEPE was created in 1966 to produce medicines at low cost for people with limited purchasing power. Based in Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, LAFEPE focuses on developing, producing, and marketing drugs to support the needs of public health policy. For example, in 1994, it became the first official laboratory in Brazil to produce the antiretroviral zidovudine (AZT). The Pernambuco laboratory invests in the modernization of its facilities, with high-tech industrial equipment. Its pioneering programme, 'Popular Pharmacy', set up in popular market areas in different regions of the state, serves as a model for the federal government. www.lafepe.pe.gov.br
About DNDi
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit research and development organization working to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, specific helminth infections, and paediatric HIV. DNDi was established in 2003 by Mdecins Sans Frontires/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) from Brazil, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and Pasteur Institute of France. The Special Programme for Tropical Disease Research (TDR) serves as a permanent observer. Since 2003, DNDi has delivered five new treatments for neglected patients: two fixed-dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late-stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, and a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia. The new paediatric dosage form of benznidazole is now the sixth treatment delivered by DNDi since its inception eight years ago. www.dndi.org
Media contacts:
DNDi Latin America, Rio de Janeiro (Spanish, Portuguese, English): Flavio Pontes (on site)
office: +55 21 2215 2941 / mobile: +55 21 8123 4133 / email: press@dndi.org.br
DNDi North America, New York (English): Oliver Yun
office: +1-646-616-8681 / mobile: +1-646-266-5216 / email: oyun@dndi.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New child-adapted Chagas disease treatment approved for registrationPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Oliver Yun oyun@dndi.org 646-266-5216 Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
This release is available in Portuguese and Spanish.
Rio de Janeiro and Recife, Brazil, and Geneva, Switzerland 2 December 2011 -- Today, at the occasion of the 4th DNDi Partners' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr Carlos Gadelha, Secretary of Science, Technology and Strategic Products, Brazilian Ministry of Health, announced that Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) granted registration of a new paediatric dosage form of benznidazole, developed through a partnership between the Pernambuco State Pharmaceutical Laboratory (LAFEPE) of Brazil and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). Registration of this child-adapted formulation of benznidazole will be published on 12 December 2011.
This new tablet means easier-to-administer and safer treatment of Chagas disease in infants and young children under the age of two, as they will receive accurate dosage.
Until today, benznidazole was available only as a 100-mg tablet for adults. Treatment for young children required cutting adult pills into tiny slivers up to 12 pieces depending on the child's weight and crushing and mixing them with water or juice, to be administered twice a day for 60 days. This difficult and inefficient method often results in improper dosing, risks of increased side-effects or ineffective treatment, and treatment stoppages.
Chagas disease infects an estimated 8 to 10 million people, mostly in Latin America, and kills some 12,000 people each year, making it the leading parasitic killer in the Americas, where it causes more deaths than malaria. The Chagas parasite is primarily transmitted via the bite of the blood-sucking triatome bug, widely known as the 'kissing bug', which is often found in poor housing conditions. In addition to blood transfusion, organ transplant, or ingesting infected food, the parasite is also transmitted during pregnancy from mother to child.
This new dosage form for children represents real progress for several reasons. Children are at especially high risk of infection, with a majority of them born from infected mothers. It is known that early treatment using benznidazole in the first year of life can eliminate the parasite in more than 90% of infected newborns. Thus, babies infected with Chagas disease will benefit the most from this new paediatric tablet.
'Thousands of mothers with Chagas disease-infected babies will welcome this as more than just a pill', says Manuel Gutirrez, President of the International Federation of Chagas Patients. 'Their voices have finally been heard.'
The new 12.5-mg tablet is easily dispersible (disintegrated) and adapted for babies and children up to two years of age (20 kg body weight). Treatment is designed to use one, two, or three tablets, depending on weight (recommended dosage, 5-10 mg/kg bodyweight/day).
'The presentation of this paediatric dosage form of benznidazole, as a final result of the collaborative project between DNDi and LAFEPE, opens possibilities for effective treatment [] for thousands of children', says Dr Mirta Roses Periago, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 'From now on, hope of an early cure for infection of the parasite that causes Chagas disease is a wonderful reality.'
Tools to facilitate implementation of and access to the new treatment include a Demand Forecast, a Procurement Guide, and a Tool Box providing training and educational materials for doctors, other health professionals, mothers, and caregivers regarding appropriate use of the treatment.
In 2008, DNDi and LAFEPE entered a joint development agreement for this dosage form. The new tablet will be produced by LAFEPE, a public pharmaceutical manufacturer run by the State of Pernambuco in Brazil and the sole global producer of benznidazole.
'We will exert all efforts, regarding commercial aspects, towards rapid patient access of this drug', says Luciano Vasquez, President of LAFEPE. 'It will be offered at cost to all public health institutions, including the Ministry of Health of Brazil.' Indeed, the paediatric dosage form will also be made available at cost to non-governmental organizations and philanthropic institutions.
The new paediatric dosage form has been granted registration from Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), and DNDi is collaborating with LAFEPE to make the drug widely available, notably by working to register the drug in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay priority countries where Chagas disease prevalence is high and treatment is urgently needed.
'At a time when efforts are being made to secure production of benznidazole, we must ensure that this new product is made available in all endemic areas and that treatment of children is rapidly expanded, in addition to the treatment of adults', says Dr Bernard Pcoul, Executive Director of DNDi. 'With this new tablet, we can reach a turning point for the treatment of children infected with Chagas disease and we have to move rapidly to get the drug to them.'
###
The project received funding support from the Department for International Development (DFID), UK; the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), The Netherlands; Mdecins Sans Frontires/Doctors without Borders (International, Italy, Brazil); the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Spain; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Switzerland; the United States Agency for International Development, via the 4th Sector Health Project implemented by Abt Associates, Inc.; Swiss private foundations and individual donors.
About Chagas Disease
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) infects an estimated 8 to 10 million people, mostly in Latin America, where it is endemic in 21 countries. It kills some 12,000 people each year, making it the leading parasitic killer in the Americas. The people most affected by the disease are very poor and live in inadequate housing conditions and often have little access to healthcare. Cases are also rising in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas disease starts with an early, acute stage lasting about two months, and is followed by a late, chronic stage lasting through lifetime, in which up to 30% of patients develop heart damage and up to 10% may have severe damage to their digestive system. In early adulthood, patients with these symptoms ultimately die, usually from heart damage. The Chagas parasite is primarily transmitted via the bite of the blood-sucking triatome bug, sometimes called the 'kissing bug'. Chagas is also transmitted by blood transfusion, organ transplantation, oral ingestion, or during pregnancy from mother to newborn. The latter, congenital Chagas disease, is considered to represent the most important mode of transmission of the coming years, and it is estimated that over 14,000 new such cases occur annually.
About LAFEPE
Pernambuco State Pharmaceutical Laboratory (Laboratrio Farmacutico do Estado de Pernambuco; LAFEPE) is the second largest public laboratory in Brazil. LAFEPE was created in 1966 to produce medicines at low cost for people with limited purchasing power. Based in Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, LAFEPE focuses on developing, producing, and marketing drugs to support the needs of public health policy. For example, in 1994, it became the first official laboratory in Brazil to produce the antiretroviral zidovudine (AZT). The Pernambuco laboratory invests in the modernization of its facilities, with high-tech industrial equipment. Its pioneering programme, 'Popular Pharmacy', set up in popular market areas in different regions of the state, serves as a model for the federal government. www.lafepe.pe.gov.br
About DNDi
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit research and development organization working to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, specific helminth infections, and paediatric HIV. DNDi was established in 2003 by Mdecins Sans Frontires/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) from Brazil, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and Pasteur Institute of France. The Special Programme for Tropical Disease Research (TDR) serves as a permanent observer. Since 2003, DNDi has delivered five new treatments for neglected patients: two fixed-dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late-stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, and a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia. The new paediatric dosage form of benznidazole is now the sixth treatment delivered by DNDi since its inception eight years ago. www.dndi.org
Media contacts:
DNDi Latin America, Rio de Janeiro (Spanish, Portuguese, English): Flavio Pontes (on site)
office: +55 21 2215 2941 / mobile: +55 21 8123 4133 / email: press@dndi.org.br
DNDi North America, New York (English): Oliver Yun
office: +1-646-616-8681 / mobile: +1-646-266-5216 / email: oyun@dndi.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
On the border, the hazy chirping of birds of a lazy Sunday morning, I lay here trying not to wake up too fast. And in that delicious world of memories old and newly created, I was back in Cambridge in my friend's back yard listening to him talk to his friend James Taylor. I knew James' sister from school, but only knew of him. Now, in that tween world, I realize he was on his way or just back from the White Album.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 2-Dec-2011
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