 February 28, 2007
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Isentress (MK-0518) Results Prove Promising
Long-awaited data from two Phase III studies of Isentress (MK-0518) indicate that the integrase inhibitor offers “potent and superior” antiretroviral activity to those in desperate need of new treatment options.
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Encouraging Data from Two Maraviroc Studies
Early data from two studies of maraviroc, Pfizer's entry inhibitor contender, indicate that the drug is proving useful for treatment-experienced patients with multiple-drug-resistant HIV.
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Shift in Cancer-Related Deaths in HIV
Among those with HIV and on antiretroviral treatment, the risk of dying from a non-AIDS-related cancer is now significantly greater than the risk of dying from an AIDS-related cancer.
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February 27, 2007
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TH9507 Shows Promise for Lipodystrophy
New data from a Phase III clinical trial of TH9507 suggest that this growth hormone promoter may be associated with moderate decreases in visceral fat with fewer side effects seen in clinical trials involving similar compounds.
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February 26, 2007
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More Lipoatrophy with Sustiva vs. Kaletra
Data from a clinical trial, presented this past summer, concluded that Sustiva has a few efficacy advantages over Kaletra. New data from the study suggests that Kaletra may have an advantage of its own: less lipaotrophy than Sustiva.
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Double-dose Viread effective against NRTI-resistant HIV
Treatment with the nucleotide analogue tenofovir at double the usual
dose is effective in combatting HIV resistant to nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), findings from a small study suggest.
However, further studies are needed to clarify the long-term renal
tolerance of this dose.
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One in 10 Infected with Drug-Resistant HIV
New data from the CDC suggest that approximately one in 10 individuals diagnosed with HIV in recent years was infected with HIV strains resistant to at least one available antiretroviral.
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| February 23, 2007
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February 21, 2007
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HIV Protein to Fight Cancer
Cancer cells keep growing because they don't react to internal signals urging them to die. Researchers are now using an HIV protein to get a messenger into tumors, forcing them to commit suicide.
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February 20, 2007
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Are We Spending Too Much on HIV?
Billions of dollars are being spent on the fight against AIDS in developing countries. In a new British Medical Journal commentary, two experts go head to head over whether we are spending too much.
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February 16, 2007
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Prezista Receives European Approval
The new HIV protease inhibitor (ritonavir-boosted darunavir), sold by
Johnson & Johnson under the trade name Prezista, received
conditional marketing approval in the European Union for all 27 member
states, a unit of the company said on Friday.
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February 15, 2007
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Disclosure May Boost CD4 Counts
HIV-infected psychiatric patients who disclose their HIV status and
sexual orientation experience greater increases in CD4 cell counts than
those who don't, according to a report in the January Psychosomatic
Medicine.
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February 14, 2007
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Herpes Raises Pregnancy Transmission Risk
Active maternal herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection increases the risk of mother-child transmission of HIV infection during childbirth, according to a report in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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February 13, 2007
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PN Study Supports Medical Marijuana
A San Francisco study indicates that smoking marijuana is safe and effective for the management of peripheral neuropathy pain, which has advocates stepping up efforts to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.
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Metabolic Syndrome No More Common in HIV
A new study suggests that metabolic syndrome in HIV-positive people is no more common than in HIV-negative individuals, suggesting that traditional risk factors are more to blame than antiretroviral-related factors.
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February 08, 2007
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IL-7 May Protect CD4 Cells in HIV
Interleukin (IL)-7 is an attractive candidate for immunotherapy in patients infected with HIV-1, according to investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Their recent experiments, reported in the online February 5th PNAS Early Edition, also show that IL-7 may be most effective in patients with the greatest degree of immune suppression.
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February 07, 2007
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GSK Offers $50 Savings Card to Lexiva Users
GlaxoSmithKline announced this week that it has introduced a cash savings program for its protease inhibitor Lexiva (fosamprenavir). The new "Patient Support Cards" will provide some HIV-positive patients with a "credit" of up to $50 toward their out-of-pocket expenses for Lexiva, every time their prescription for the drug is filled for a total of two years.
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February 02, 2007
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Hep C: Heavy Drinking Riskier for Women than Men
Heavy alcohol use increases mortality with hepatitis C to a greater
extent in female patients than in males, according to a report in the
February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
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HIV Rates Drop Among Florida Blacks
Between 1999 and 2004, the rates of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses declined among blacks living in Florida, according to a report by investigators at the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The annual rate of decline was significantly greater than for other racial/ethnic groups.
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February 01, 2007
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Asthma Med for IRIS?
Doctors in London have reported encouraging results using a common asthma medication to treat an HIV-positive man with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). The case report, published in the January 30 issue of AIDS, suggests that the patient’s rapid recovery upon starting treatment with the leukotriene inhibitor montelukast (Singulair) may also provide important information about the mechanisms responsible for IRIS seen in many HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral therapy.
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