FDA Analysis: Abacavir Doesn't Increase Heart Attack Risk There is no associated between the use of ViiV Healthcare’s abacavir (found in Ziagen, Epzicom and Trizivir) and heart attack risk, according to an analysis conducted by the FDA.
August 29, 2012
Food Insecurity Contributes to HIV Hospital Visits in S.F. Researchers report that poor HIV-infected individuals living in San Francisco are significantly more likely to visit emergency rooms and to have hospital stays if they lack access to food of sufficient quality and quantity for a healthy life.
August 28, 2012
Activists Protest Stribild’s $28,500 Price Tag
The Fair Pricing Coalition and other activists are taking Gilead Sciences to task for what they say is an exorbitant per-patient annual wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) for Striblid (elvitegravir plus cobicistat, tenofovir and emtrictabine), the fixed-dose combination tablet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday, August 27.
HIV-Positive Men Should Test ‘Free’ Testosterone Levels To check whether an HIV-positive man’s sex glands produce too little testosterone—a condition called male hypogonadism—doctors must look at morning blood draws and levels of “free” testosterone, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University investigators presented in July at the 14th International Workshop on Comorbidities and Adverse Drug Reactions in HIV, held in Washington, DC.
August 27, 2012
'Quad' Stribild Combo Tablet Approved by FDA
Stribild, the once-daily four-in-one fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet formerly known as the “Quad,” has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people living with HIV initiating antiretroviral therapy for the first time, according to an announcement by Gilead Sciences released on Monday, August 27. The tablet contains two new antiretrovirals—the integrase inhibitor elvitegravir and the boosting agent cobicistat—as well as the nucleotide/nucleoside analog pair Truvada (tenofovir and emtrictabine).
Combining Pap Smears With HPV Testing May Reduce Cervical Cancer Screenings for Women With HIV Combining standard Pap smears with testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) may allow women living with HIV to reduce the frequency of cervical cancer screenings and unnecessary biopsies, according to a new study published in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
August 22, 2012
Interferon, High Blood Pressure May be Risk to Vision People living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who have high blood pressure should see an eye specialist while undergoing therapy with pegylated interferon-based regimens, according to an Italian study published in the August issue of Hepatology.
August 20, 2012
Might Aspirin Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in People With HIV?
Could daily aspirin help reduce the excessive risk of a heart attack and other health complications associated with blood clots, immune activation and inflammation in people living with HIV? A small pilot study reported Thursday, July 26, at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, by New York University (NYU) researchers points to the possibility.
Compounds in Green Tea, Chocolate, Red Wine Show Promise for HIV Neuro Problems A group of plant polyphenols known as catechins—found in green tea, dark chocolate and red wine—may help prevent the neurological complications more common among people living with HIV, according to a paper published online by the Journal of NeuroVirology and summarized by the publisher in a news announcement.
August 14, 2012
Generic-Based Regimen in U.S. Could Save Nearly $1 Billion in First Year of Use Though it won’t be quite as convenient and could have a slight negative effect on HIV survival expectations, prescribing a generic equivalent to Atripla (efavirenz plus tenofovir and emtrictabine) could end up saving United States drug-coverage entities close $1 billion in the first year alone. This is the conclusion of modeling conducted by Rochelle Walensky, MD, of Harvard Medical School and her colleagues, presented Friday, July 27, at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.
August 10, 2012
CDC Issues New Recs to Stave Off Untreatable Gonorrhea
When it comes to treating gonorrhea, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now down to “last resort” efforts to prevent the bacteria responsible for the sexually transmitted illness (STI) from becoming completely resistant to all available antibiotics. According to new guidelines released by the agency on Thursday, August 9, health care providers are being urged to start using the powerful injected antibiotic Rocephin (ceftriaxone) in combination with an oral drug to effectively treat the disease in the U.S.
Interim PrEP Recs Now Available for At-Risk Heterosexuals As a follow-up to its preliminary guidance regarding pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued interim recommendations for heterosexually active adults. According to the agency, health care providers looking to prescribe Truvada (tenofovir plus emtricitabine) as PrEP should ensure their patients are confirmed to be uninfected prior to use and provided regular testing and other key prevention services.
August 08, 2012
Novel Vaginal HIV Microbicide Ring Enters Large-Scale Clinical Trial A new clinical trial of a novel drug-infused vaginal microbicide ring to prevent male-to-female transmission of HIV has opened in 17 clinical trials sites in five African countries, according to a National Institutes of Health news announcement and additional details discussed during a press conference at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.
August 06, 2012
What Do U.S. Women at Risk for HIV Think About PrEP? Most U.S. women at risk for HIV are unaware of PrEP—pre-exposure prophylaxis, which entails taking daily meds to prevent HIV—but they view it as an option that should be available to all sexually active women. What’s more, their chief rationale “had something to do with not trusting what men were up to.” Such were the findings of a qualitative, focus-group study of at-risk women presented by Judith Auerbach, PhD, research consultant to AIDS United and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, during the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC.
HIV Integrase Inhibitor Dolutegravir Comparable to Isentress for First-Line Therapy The experimental integrase inhibitor (INI) dolutegravir is comparable to the approved INI Isentress (raltegravir) for first-time HIV treatment takers, according to preliminary 48-week data from a Phase III clinical trial presented Thursday, July 26, at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.
August 03, 2012
Engagement in U.S. HIV Care: Problem Even Worse Among Blacks, Young People Only one in three people living with HIV in the United States are being retained in care—being seen by a health care provider on a regular basis—according to sobering new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data presented Friday, July 27, at the XIX International AIDS Conference. The latest results contribute to growing awareness regarding a significant problem in the U.S.—the poor engagement of HIV-positive people in the continuum of care required to prolong disease-free survival and curtail the ongoing spread of the virus.
August 02, 2012
Colliding Epidemics: HIV, TB and Other Diseases
Lessons learned during the global scale-up of HIV treatment can be used to address epidemics of tuberculosis (TB) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which have become leading causes of death for HIV-positive people in low- and middle-income countries. Unless additional measures are taken, experts explained on Friday, July 27, at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS) in Washington, DC, there may be some erosion in antiretroviral therapy’s ability to prolong the lifespan of an aging global population of HIV-positive people.
How to Fight HIV Criminalization in Courts of Law and Public Opinion As the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC, presented hopes of achieving an AIDS-free generation, some advocates focused attention on a major obstacle to this goal: the criminalization of people living with or at high risk for HIV. At a symposia session on July 23, speakers from Jamaica, South Africa, the United States and Egypt mapped out ways to oppose such laws, using litigation, diplomacy and community mobilization. Discriminatory laws, they said, marginalize, isolate and punish the people most at risk for HIV or already living with the virus, preventing programs and strategies from effectively stemming the epidemic.
August 01, 2012
Violence, Human Rights Abuses Fuel HIV Epidemic The role violence plays in the ongoing spread of HIV can’t be denied, according to key opinion leaders who addressed delegates at a Monday, July 23, symposium at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.
Toward a Cure: Virologic Control Documented in 14 Acute HIV Treaters A new study released Thursday, July 26, at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC, found that 14 people living with HIV have achieved long-term non-progressing “viral controller” status after being treated with antiretrovirals (ARVs) during the acute phase of their infections. The fact that these individuals have shown no signs of viral load rebounds following termination of their prescribed treatment regimens may ultimately provide guidance to researchers on the hunt for “functional” HIV cures.
Defining Domestic Violence Among Gay and Bisexual Men and the Link to HIV Gay and bisexual men who experienced domestic violence were twice as likely to not use condoms during their last sexual encounter, according to research based out of Atlanta and presented Friday, July 27, at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. What’s more, the research claims to provide for the first time a definition of domestic violence that is specific to gay and bisexual men, and this definition does include HIV-related violence.
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