Ok, this isn’t about the ocean or coral reefs but it is an issue that is near and dear to my heart.    My husband was cured of Hepatitis C in a Phase 2 clinical trial involving two medicines owned by two different companies. They achieved an astounding 100% cure rate in all patients with little to no side effects.   One of the pills was sold to Gilead Sciences, that now refuses to go to Phase 3 trials, FDA approval and to market with the drugs.

I’m working with HCV: Coalition for the Cure  to help get the cure out.  Hep C now kills 1000 people a day in America–exceeding that of AIDS.  Please sign our White House petition seeking the President’s involvement in urging the release of this important way to save lives.  Go to http://www.hepc-cured.org  and sign today. You’ll have to register but it’s worth it.

Many thanks,   DeeVon    ps here’s our press release:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 350,000 people a year are dying from Hepatitis C. Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb together developed a promising cure and HCV advocates are outraged at lack of its development

San Antonio, Texas (PRWEB) February 23, 2013

According to the World Health Organization, (WHO) 350,000 people die each year from Hepatitis C and it is the most widespread blood borne infection in the country. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/). The disease now kills more people than AIDS (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-hepc-idUSTRE81M1HR20120223).

San Antonian, Margaret Dudley, was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2011. Dudley is leading a charge to make a cure available to the four million Americans living with the disease. “We feel Gilead Sciences has a moral responsibility to work with Bristol-Myers to put an end to this epidemic disease,” says Dudley.

She established the HCV Coalition for The Cure to raise awareness about Hepatitis C and the cure that exists. She says the greatest frustration is knowing that a treatment is available without toxic ribavirin and/or interferon, but it’s not being used. She says two pills from two different drug makers have shown remarkable results, but their use against Hepatitis C is stalled. Dudley says drug company Gilead Sciences has balked at further development with Bristol-Myers Squibb rather than moving forward with the medications they created together to cure the most common forms of Hepatitis C, which is a combination of Gilead Sciences’ sofosbuvir combined with Bristol’s daclatasvir (Bristol urges combo hepatitis C study with Gilead http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/31/us-bristolmyers-gilead-idUSBRE84U0WC20120531)

On February 19, 2013, Dudley, with the support of her husband, Gary Dudley, co-owner of San Antonio based corporation, SWBC, and a number of other advocates announced a drive to obtain a hundred thousand signatures, that would get the White House to help move things along.

“They can stop this disease by collaborating on this cure for a disease that’s reached epidemic proportions,” says 61 year old Dudley – a mother and grandmother.

The Hepatitis C virus resides in the liver. Over time, cysts and scar tissue form, causing liver cirrhosis. Tumors can develop and the liver can fail. This is the number one reason for liver transplants. “We feel very strongly with help of the nation and the White House, we can get these drug companies to come together with their previously proven treatment to cure the disease.”

“You have the cure, you developed it, give us access to it,” says Margaret directing her plea to the drug companies.

Dudley is urging everyone to go to http://www.hepc-cured.org and sign the White House petition.

http://www.bluefront.org/

CoralWatch would like to announce that we have just released the second edition of our book “Coral Reefs and Climate Change – the Guide for Education and Awareness”.

This book is beautifully illustrated and aims to bring coral reef science to students and general public.   It is 262 pages and has chapters on oceanography, coral reef biology and ecology, climate change and approaches to conservation.

Our educational DVD series was also recently released – this contains 22 short videos (3-8 minutes each) covering key topics from the book, and incorporates interviews with scientists and animated diagrams to bring the science to life.  These products are available alone, combined, or as part of a reef education package.

Here is a link to the current book order form.  We will include 2012 prices until the end of February.
http://coralwatch.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=fdbfc738-114f-451b-986b-4b843b9e709b&groupId=10136

CoralWatch is a non-profit organisation, based at The University of Queensland.  CoralWatch integrates volunteer monitoring of coral bleaching with education about coral reef conservation.  For more information about CoralWatch activities or other products, email info@coralwatch.org or visit our website www.coralwatch.org

Cheers
Angela

Dr Angela Dean I Project Manager I CoralWatch I The University of Queensland l Phone: +61 7 3365 3127 l Fax +61 7 3346 6301 l Email a.dean@uq.edu.au<mailto:a.dean@uq.edu.au>

Special thanks to Coral-list.

1.  EPA approved Florida DEP’s nutrient rules for 15% of the state’s waters.  DEP’s rules contain “thresholds” and standards that are less stringent than EPA had proposed.

2.  EPA proposed strong rules for the remaining 85% of Florida’s waters, but it also has signaled that it is prepared to withdraw those rules and transfer that authority to Florida DEP.  — That would turn a major clean water victory into defeat.

Polluter lobbyists, in fact, crafted the DEP’s ineffective rules. They hold enormous influence in the Scott Administration and in Legislature. It is simply irresponsible to turn this over to the DEP. 

See the attached fact sheet for our detailed assessment of EPA’s action.

EPA also announced that it would hold public information sessions in Tampa on January 17-18 to answer questions and take comments on the rules.   It is of vital importance that hundreds of clean water advocates gather in Tampa to demand that EPA not turn clean water enforcement over to Florida DEP.  Details follow below in our action alert.

EPA will soon decide whether it will enforce the Clean Water Act or hand a “get out of jail free card” to Florida’s polluters.  The moment is now to let our voices be heard and take action together. 

– Frank

http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12219

Support the effort to add corals to the endangered species list.  Sign the action alert and check out the list of public hearings and where to send comments at Center for Biologic Diversity website above.  DV

Our coral reefs are in trouble, and the proposal from the federal government to protect 66 corals under the Endangered Species Act is a wakeup call on the urgency of this crisis.

Under the proposal, 12 coral species would be listed as endangered and 54 as threatened. Seven of the most imperiled in live in Florida and the Caribbean, and many of the others are found in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

The decision is the most sweeping effort ever by the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect imperiled marine animals. It’s also an important step toward raising public awareness about the plight of corals and providing them lifesaving protections.

Help make sure this proposal becomes a reality. Send a message in support of protections for corals.

The government has also set up a number of meetings to take public comments about its plans to protect the 66 corals. Click here to see the full list of events and to RSVP.