Daniel Berger
Encyclopedia
Dr. Daniel Berger is a leading HIV
specialist in the United States. A Clinical Associate Professor at the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois College of Medicine
, Berger is also founder and medical director of Northstar Medical Center, Chicago’s largest private HIV research and treatment center.
Berger has received numerous awards for his work as a researcher and teacher, including the Charles E. Clifton Leadership Award “For excellence and leadership to the Chicago HIV community” (2006), the Distinguished Researcher in HIV Medicine Award from
Serono Laboratories (2000) and the American College of Physicians
’ Preceptor Award for outstanding teaching in internal medicine (1996).
Born in Brooklyn
, New York, Berger received his B.S. from Touro College
in New York City
and his M.D. from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
(The Chicago Medical School North Chicago). He interned at Lutheran General Hospital of Park Ridge, Illinois and completed his residency at Saint Joseph Hospital of Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to his medical and research practices, Berger is an avid collector of Outsider Art
and contemporary art
, with a specialization in works by African-American, Chicago based and queer artists. In 2010, he opened Iceberg Projects, a not-for-profit art gallery, in a refurbished carriage house behind his home in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
research and development community, Berger has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and authored abstracts in many international conferences on HIV-related treatment.
During the first years of HIV treatment development, Berger presented his work on several watershed studies on the development of the drug cocktail. Highlights include a presentation at the 1992 International AIDS Conference
describing the first use of combination therapy with zidovudine and didanosine for patients who were consistently p24 anti-genemic despite zidovudine monotherapy. Also, Berger conducted the first investigations of interleukin II in advanced HIV disease patients, presented at the 1998 International Conference on AIDS.
During the years 2005-2010, antiretroviral therapy for HIV disease experienced a revolution in therapeutics. Berger was heavily involved as principle investigator of these agents and co-authored several resultant iconic publications of trials including the Power 2, Titan, Duet and Startmrk studies and the first studies of elvitegravir. Berger often lectures to physicians around the US on topics relating to incorporating of newer antiretroviral therapies into treatment. Additionally, Berger frequently publishes editorial articles in the lay press.
(FDA) review of Berger’s participation in the trial, and a Notice of Initiation of Disqualification Procedure and Opportunity to Explain (NIDPO).
Eventually, after extensive FDA review, Berger was cleared of all wrongdoing and allowed to continue his research work with minimal supervision by an independent monitor and without any other restrictions. Berger is currently (2011) serving as principal investigator in multiple studies.
Activity of Elvitegravir, a Once-Daily Integrase Inhibitor, against Resistant HIV Type 1: Results of a Phase 2, Randomized, Controlled, Dose-Ranging Clinical Trial. Andrew R. Zolopa, Daniel S. Berger, Harry Lampiris, Lijie Zhong, Steven L. Chuck, Jeffrey V. Enejosa, Brian P. Kearney, and Andrew Cheng. JID 2010;201:814-22.
Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV. Julian Falutz, Soraya Allas, Koenraad Blot, Diane Potvin, Donald Kotler, Michael Somero, Daniel Berger, Stephen Brown, Gary Richmond, Jeffrey Fessel, Ralph Turner and Steven Grinspoon. New Engl J Med 2007;357:2359-70.
A Randomized, Controlled Phase III Trial Compariing 48-week Efficacy and Safety of Darunavir/Ritonavir (DRV/r) with Lopinavir/Ritonavir (LPV/r) in treatment experienced patients: TITAN. JoseValdez-Madruga, Daniel Berger, Marilyn McMurchie, Fredy Suter, Denes Banhegyi, Dorece Norris, Eric Lefebvre, Tony Vangeneugden, Marie-Pierre de Bethune, Frank Tomaka, Martine De Pauw , Sabrina Spinosa-Guzman. The Lancet 2007; 370:49-58
Week 24 Efficacy and Safety of TMC114/ritonavir in treatment-experienced HIV Patients: R Haubrich, D. Berger, P Chilade, A Colson, M Conant, J Gallant, R Gulick, J Nadler, G Pierone, M Saag, P Shalit, B van Baelen M de Bethune, A Koest er, W Parys, V Sekar, E Lefebvre on behalf of Power 2 study group AIDS 2007, 21:F11-F18.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
specialist in the United States. A Clinical Associate Professor at the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois College of Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine
The University of Illinois College of Medicine offers a four-year program leading to the MD degree at four different sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana–Champaign....
, Berger is also founder and medical director of Northstar Medical Center, Chicago’s largest private HIV research and treatment center.
Berger has received numerous awards for his work as a researcher and teacher, including the Charles E. Clifton Leadership Award “For excellence and leadership to the Chicago HIV community” (2006), the Distinguished Researcher in HIV Medicine Award from
Serono Laboratories (2000) and the American College of Physicians
American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is a national organization of doctors of internal medicine —physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults. With 130,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in...
’ Preceptor Award for outstanding teaching in internal medicine (1996).
Born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, Berger received his B.S. from Touro College
Touro College
Touro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and his M.D. from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a private graduate school located in North Chicago, Illinois. Rosalind Franklin is a multi-disciplinary university that seeks to prepare its students to meet the nation's health care needs. The interprofessional education approach used at...
(The Chicago Medical School North Chicago). He interned at Lutheran General Hospital of Park Ridge, Illinois and completed his residency at Saint Joseph Hospital of Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to his medical and research practices, Berger is an avid collector of Outsider Art
Outsider Art
The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for art brut , a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane-asylum inmates.While...
and contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
, with a specialization in works by African-American, Chicago based and queer artists. In 2010, he opened Iceberg Projects, a not-for-profit art gallery, in a refurbished carriage house behind his home in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
HIV research
At Northstar Medical Center, where he serves as principal investigator, Berger has conducted nearly 200 HIV-related clinical trials. Well known in the antiretroviral drugAntiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART...
research and development community, Berger has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and authored abstracts in many international conferences on HIV-related treatment.
During the first years of HIV treatment development, Berger presented his work on several watershed studies on the development of the drug cocktail. Highlights include a presentation at the 1992 International AIDS Conference
International AIDS Conference
The International AIDS Society is the custodian of the International AIDS Conference, the largest regular conference on any health or development issue. These conferences provide a forum for the interaction of science, community and leadership, and are claimed to strengthen an evidence-based...
describing the first use of combination therapy with zidovudine and didanosine for patients who were consistently p24 anti-genemic despite zidovudine monotherapy. Also, Berger conducted the first investigations of interleukin II in advanced HIV disease patients, presented at the 1998 International Conference on AIDS.
During the years 2005-2010, antiretroviral therapy for HIV disease experienced a revolution in therapeutics. Berger was heavily involved as principle investigator of these agents and co-authored several resultant iconic publications of trials including the Power 2, Titan, Duet and Startmrk studies and the first studies of elvitegravir. Berger often lectures to physicians around the US on topics relating to incorporating of newer antiretroviral therapies into treatment. Additionally, Berger frequently publishes editorial articles in the lay press.
FDA trial difficulties and successful resolution of NIDPO
In 2008, an employee of Northstar Medical, without knowledge of Berger or his sub-investigators, falsified some results in one drug trial. Subsequent investigation uncovered extensive evidence of criminality in the individual’s past, including embezzlement from Chicago’s DePaul University (which became the grounds for a criminal case). This resulted in a U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) review of Berger’s participation in the trial, and a Notice of Initiation of Disqualification Procedure and Opportunity to Explain (NIDPO).
Eventually, after extensive FDA review, Berger was cleared of all wrongdoing and allowed to continue his research work with minimal supervision by an independent monitor and without any other restrictions. Berger is currently (2011) serving as principal investigator in multiple studies.
Selected references
Raltegravir Versus Efavirenz Regimens in Treatment-Naïve HIV-1-Infected Patients: 96-Week Efficacy, Durability, Subgroup, Safety, and Metabolic Analysis. Jeffrey L. Lennox, Edwin DeJesus, Daniel S. Berger, Adriano Lazzarin, Richard B. Pollard, Jose Valdez Ramalho Madruga, Jing Zhao, Hong Wan, Christopher L Gilbert, Hedy Teppler, Anthony J. Rodgers, Richard J.O. Barnard, Michael D. Miller, Mark J. DiNubile, Bach-Yen Nguyen, Randi Leavitt, Peter Sklar for the STARTMRK Investigators. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2010. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181da1287Activity of Elvitegravir, a Once-Daily Integrase Inhibitor, against Resistant HIV Type 1: Results of a Phase 2, Randomized, Controlled, Dose-Ranging Clinical Trial. Andrew R. Zolopa, Daniel S. Berger, Harry Lampiris, Lijie Zhong, Steven L. Chuck, Jeffrey V. Enejosa, Brian P. Kearney, and Andrew Cheng. JID 2010;201:814-22.
Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV. Julian Falutz, Soraya Allas, Koenraad Blot, Diane Potvin, Donald Kotler, Michael Somero, Daniel Berger, Stephen Brown, Gary Richmond, Jeffrey Fessel, Ralph Turner and Steven Grinspoon. New Engl J Med 2007;357:2359-70.
A Randomized, Controlled Phase III Trial Compariing 48-week Efficacy and Safety of Darunavir/Ritonavir (DRV/r) with Lopinavir/Ritonavir (LPV/r) in treatment experienced patients: TITAN. JoseValdez-Madruga, Daniel Berger, Marilyn McMurchie, Fredy Suter, Denes Banhegyi, Dorece Norris, Eric Lefebvre, Tony Vangeneugden, Marie-Pierre de Bethune, Frank Tomaka, Martine De Pauw , Sabrina Spinosa-Guzman. The Lancet 2007; 370:49-58
Week 24 Efficacy and Safety of TMC114/ritonavir in treatment-experienced HIV Patients: R Haubrich, D. Berger, P Chilade, A Colson, M Conant, J Gallant, R Gulick, J Nadler, G Pierone, M Saag, P Shalit, B van Baelen M de Bethune, A Koest er, W Parys, V Sekar, E Lefebvre on behalf of Power 2 study group AIDS 2007, 21:F11-F18.
External links
- http://www.nstarmedical.com/
- http://www.natap.org/2010/newsUpdates/091610_01.htm
- http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607610496/fulltext
- http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/735387
- http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite-KB-ref.jsp?page=ar-03-10&rf=2
- http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite-KB-ref.jsp?page=ar-03-10&rf=2
- http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/201/6/814.full
- http://icebergchicago.com/home.html