BEING ALIVE LOS ANGELES

09/10/2026

09/06/2026

Today begins a series of 10 Myth Buster reels around Harm Reduction. Be sure to check back next week for reel 2.

Myth: naloxone only works on 'street drugs.'

Truth: it reverses any opioid overdose — including fentanyl. And fentanyl is turning up in substances that aren't expected to have it.

You don't have to use opioids to be at risk.

Get FREE Narcan from Being Alive, 7976 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046 (Tuesday - Friday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.) — anyone can save a life."

09/04/2026

Being Alive was honored for 40 years of service by Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez at the LA City Council meeting today. Thanks to all for a wonderful morning!

08/28/2026

For people on complex, multi-pill regimens, Bixlenvo could be a once-daily, single-pill option could simplify HIV treatment. “It represents another important step forward in the evolution of two-drug regimens, offering heavily treatment-experienced people with HIV and those on complex ART regimens an opportunity to simplify to a potent two-drug regimen,” says HIV specialist.
positivelyaware.com/bixlenvo-approved

08/28/2026

New research: SNAP isn't just a food program — it's a health intervention.

A study out of the University of Pennsylvania, published in JAMA this month, tracked 54 SNAP recipients living with HIV in Philadelphia using electronic pill bottle monitors over four months. What they found should change how we talk about food assistance funding:

Medication adherence rose right after SNAP benefits arrived each month — then steadily declined as the benefit period wore on, dropping about 12% by the end of each cycle. During the recent federal shutdown, when benefits were disrupted, adherence fell even further.

This is the first study to causally link SNAP payments to antiretroviral therapy adherence, showing that financial stress isn't just a background factor in people's health — it shapes daily medical decisions in real time.

The takeaway: cutting or delaying food assistance doesn't just mean empty pantries. For people managing HIV and other chronic conditions, it can mean missed medication doses and disrupted treatment — with consequences for individual and public health.

Food assistance is healthcare. Protecting SNAP protects lives.

08/27/2026

Faith communities have the power to lead with compassion, education, and action in the fight to end HIV. On National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we recognize the important role congregations and faith leaders play in creating welcoming spaces, sharing accurate information, and supporting people living with HIV.

Together, we can help eliminate stigma and discrimination, promote HIV testing and prevention, connect people to lifesaving treatment, and build communities rooted in dignity, care, and health equity.

When faith leaders speak openly about HIV, they help transform places of worship into spaces of hope, support, and healing.

08/27/2026

40th Anniversary is less than a month away! Get tickets and catch a special 30 minute benefit performance from Mama I’m a Big Girl Now starring Marissa Jaret Winokur Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler she/her

Being Alive will also be proudly honoring morgan fairchild Bruce & Joseph Vincent Leahy for their commitment to the HIV Community.

Tickets for the event are in the bio!
https://givebutter.com/BA40th

08/21/2026

08/20/2026

Sending out the happiest of birthday wishes to our executive director, Jamie Baker! ✨🎂✨

08/16/2026

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1607111557536374&set=a.568782714702602&type=3&mibextid=wwXIfr

A personalized mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer has shown remarkable potential in clinical trials.

It triggered long-lasting immune responses that could prevent the disease from ever returning.

For decades, pancreatic cancer has been one of the most lethal and difficult-to-treat malignancies, notorious for its high recurrence rate even after successful surgical removal.

However, a groundbreaking Phase 1 clinical trial of a personalized mRNA vaccine, known as autogene cevumeran, offers a beacon of hope.

Led by researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the trial evaluated the vaccine’s ability to train patients' immune systems to recognize and destroy microscopic, post-surgery cancer cells. The vaccine works by analyzing each patient’s tumor to identify specific mutations, creating a custom mRNA blueprint that prompts the body to produce cancer-fighting T cells.

The results have been remarkably encouraging: the vaccine successfully triggered a robust, long-lasting immune response in half of the study participants.

Follow-up data presented in 2026 revealed that those patients who mounted an immune response experienced a significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence, with nearly 90% of these 'responders' still alive up to six years post-treatment.

This milestone marks a critical shift toward proactive, highly targeted cancer interception and paves the way for larger clinical trials aimed at transforming the prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients worldwide.

source: Balachandran, V. P., et al. Personalized RNA neoantigen vaccines stimulate T cells in pancreatic cancer. Nature.