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 April 30, 2009
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GSK Studies Show No Increased Heart Attack Risk From Abacavir
An analysis of 52 studies of abacavir (found in Ziagen, Epzicom and Trizivir) by the drug’s maker, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), found no increased risk for heart attacks in people taking the drug, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. These results stand in contrast to results of other studies finding an increased risk of heart attacks among people on abacavir.
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April 29, 2009
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Prezista Levels in the Brain High Enough to Control HIV
Levels of the protease inhibitor (PI) Prezista (darunavir) are high enough in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to control HIV reproduction in the brain, according to a study published in the April issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Suppressing HIV in the brain may help prevent thinking and memory problems as people living with the virus age, though this has not been proved in clinical trials.
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| April 28, 2009
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April 27, 2009
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HIV Positive and Negative Have Equal Liver Transplant Survival Rates
HIV-positive liver transplant recipients are just as likely to be alive both one and five years after a transplant as HIV-negative patients, according to a study presented this week at the 44th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Copenhagen, and reported by ScienceDaily.
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April 24, 2009
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Atripla Co-pay Program Announced
Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced today that they have added the drug Atripla (efavirenz, tenofovir and emtricitabine), which they jointly make and sell, to the list of drugs for which they offer co-payment assistance.
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April 23, 2009
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New Research Shows Why Antibodies Fail to Control HIV
Antibodies produced by the immune system aren’t effective against HIV—and new research potentially explains why. Protein spikes on HIV’s surface are too few and far between for antibodies to adequately latch on to, according to California Institute of Technology researchers reporting their study results in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and summarized by ScienceDaily.
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April 22, 2009
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HIV Treatment May Offer Only Partial Heart Protection
Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has a contradictory effect on the risk of heart disease, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases and reported by aidsmap. While HIV treatment appears to reduce the damaging effects of inflammation on blood vessels, it is also associated with an increased risk of artery-clogging plaques.
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April 21, 2009
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Isentress’s Prevention Potential
The integrase inhibitor Isentress (raltegravir), when taken by either HIV-negative or HIV-positive people, might be able to prevent HIV transmission, according to a presentation at the International Clinical Pharmacology Workshop in Amsterdam.
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April 20, 2009
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“Quad” HIV Pill Enters Phase II Study
Gilead Sciences Inc. announced today it initiated a Phase II study of a new four-in-one—or “Quad”—HIV treatment. The Quad pill includes Gilead’s experimental integrase inhibitor called elvitegravir, an experimental boosting agent called GS 9350 and the approved drugs Viread (tenofovir) and Emtriva (emtricitabine).
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April 17, 2009
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BMS Launches Co-Pay Assistance Program
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced today that it is launching its own co-payment assistance program for Reyataz (atazanavir) and Sustiva (efavirenz) starting April 30.
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April 16, 2009
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GSK, Pfizer Team for Combined HIV Drug Company
Pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer announced April 16 that they will form a new drug company focused solely on the research, development and commercialization of HIV medications. Under the deal, GSK will initially own 85 percent of the yet-unnamed company while Pfizer will own 15 percent.
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| April 15, 2009
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April 14, 2009
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Is Big Pharma Stifling AIDS Research?
The pharmaceutical industry is stifling the innovation and development of new treatments for HIV, and those who should be representing the interests of people with HIV are too dependent on pharmaceutical funding to be effective watchdogs, according to an article in Frontiers IN LA magazine.
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April 13, 2009
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Another Study Recommends Earlier ARV Treatment
A second large cohort study has confirmed that starting antiretroviral (ARV) therapy before CD4 counts fall to 350 or below—which is the current guidelines cutoff—protects against developing an AIDS diagnosis and death, according to the authors of a study published online April 9 in The Lancet and reported by aidsmap.
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April 10, 2009
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Scientists Discover How Herpes Viruses May Lead to Cancer
Researchers have discovered that some herpes viruses can reduce the ability of cells to shut themselves down or die, which is critical to halting the development of cancers such as lymphoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). Their findings are published in the April 2 issue of The EMBO Journal.
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April 09, 2009
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Leptin Reduces Belly Fat
HIV-positive men who were given an experimental version of the hormone leptin had a significant reduction in their belly fat after three months of treatment, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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April 08, 2009
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Kaletra Might Cause Heart Rhythm Disturbances
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revised the prescribing instructions for the protease inhibitor Kaletra (lopinavir plus ritonavir) to include a new warning about heart rhythm disturbances that might be caused by the drug. While the agency points out that studies haven’t definitely linked Kaletra to these problems, it is nonetheless suggesting that health care providers be cautious when prescribing the drug to anyone with underlying heart problems or to those using other drugs known to cause heart rhythm disturbances.
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April 07, 2009
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HIV Treatment Alone Is Enough for Most Who Catch KS Early
The majority of people who catch AIDS-related cancer Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) in its earliest stage and quickly begin taking antiretroviral (ARV) therapy may not require treatment with chemotherapy, according to a study presented at the 15th Annual Conference of the British HIV Association in Liverpool and reported by aidsmap.
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April 06, 2009
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Vitamin D Might Blunt Tenofovir-Associated Bone Problems
Vitamin D supplements might protect people taking tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) from elevated hormone levels, which can lead to bone mineral loss, according to a study presented at the 15th Annual Conference of the British HIV Association in Liverpool and reported by aidsmap.
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April 03, 2009
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Shorter Duration Hep C Treatment May Be Possible for Some
People with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who achieve undetectable HCV levels after only four weeks of HCV treatment may be able to clear HCV after only 24 weeks of treatment, according to a study published April 15 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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| April 02, 2009
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April 01, 2009
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New Drug May Boost HIV Treatment Effectiveness
The addition of an experimental amino acid to a standard HIV drug regimen may be all that’s necessary for people struggling to keep their viral loads undetectable, according to a study published in The Journal of Immunology and reported by EurekAlert.
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