What is AIDS Research Alliance?

AIDS Research Alliance (ARA) is a non-profit AIDS research organization seeking a cure to AIDS and medical strategies to prevent the further spread of HIV.  ARA pursues promising ideas based solely on treatment potential, without regard for profit or politics.

Why should I support AIDS Research Alliance?

• It will be impossible to end the AIDS epidemic without medical research

• 33 million people are now living with HIV worldwide

• In 2007, another 2.5 million people are newly infected with the HIV virus.  2.1 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses.

What kind of research does AIDS Research Alliance conduct?

AIDS Research Alliance conducts human clinical trials, speeding the pace at which more effective HIV/AIDS treatments are discovered and made available to the AIDS community. Our research ranges from supplementary therapies that take a holistic approach to HIV treatment, to first-in-human drug trials, vaccine studies and pre-clinical research into HIV eradication.  We strive to improve the health of people living with HIV; prevent healthy individuals from becoming infected with HIV; and find a cure for HIV/AIDS.

How is AIDS Research Alliance different from other AIDS organizations?

AIDS Research Alliance actually conducts the medical research for which it raises funds, thus eliminating a layer of bureaucracy. While it provides some direct care and treatment to AIDS/HIV patients; we goal is to end the epidemic by attacking the disease itself.

How much does AIDS Research Alliance spend towards research?

ARA leverages volunteer collaborations and in-kind services to spends as little as possible on overhead as possible.  Fully 85% of every donation goes directly towards research and education.  This is why ARA received the much-coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7701

What have been ARA’s successes?

ARA has been an investigative site for almost half of the anti-HIV medications currently approved by the FDA. ARA’s efforts led directly to the approval of four of these drugs including nelfinavir (Viracept™), a protease inhibitor regarded as an effective and well-tolerated anchor drug in many triple therapy combinations, and tenofovir (Viread™), the first drug indicated for patients in a “salvage situation” whose immune systems do not respond to any other HIV drugs.  ARA is the only non-profit to be awarded a federal license to develop an anti-HIV treatment