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 August 31, 2009
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August 28, 2009
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Tenofovir Not Necessarily Hard on the Kidneys
Tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) as part of a first HIV regimen isn’t necessarily harder on the kidneys than drugs such as Ziagen (abacavir), according to a study published online August 25 in AIDS. The combination of tenofovir with a Norvir (ritonavir)boosted protease inhibitor (PI), however, did demonstrate reductions in kidney function.
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| August 27, 2009
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| August 25, 2009
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August 24, 2009
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New Intelence Prescribing Information Warns of Severe Rash Risk
The prescribing information for Intelence (etravirine) has been updated to reflect warnings of rare—but potentially life-threatening—skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Systemic hypersensitivity reactions have also been reported and are characterized by rash, flulike symptoms and sometimes organ problems, including liver failure.
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August 21, 2009
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Longtime HIV Doc Named New Tobacco Regulator at FDA
Lawrence “Bopper” Deyton, MD, MSPH, for many years one of the greatest advocates for research and care for veterans living with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), has been named by President Obama to the newly created post of director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to reporting by The New York Times.
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Study: No Evidence That HIV Worsens Swine Flu Mortality Risk, Complications
Obesity and diabetes are the two main underlying conditions associated with death in people with H1N1 virus (swine flu), according to a new study published in the August 20 edition of Eurosurveillance as reported by aidsmap.com. The authors, from the French Institute of Public Health, do not cite HIV as a mortality risk factor.
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August 20, 2009
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Using Heroin to Fight the Ills of Heroin Addiction
Heroin-dependent clinical trial volunteers who received diacetylmorphine, the active ingredient in heroin, were far more likely to remain in the study than those who received methadone, according to a study published August 20 in The New England Journal of Medicine and reported by The New York Times. Those who received the controlled heroin injections were also more likely to refrain from illegal activities and illicit drug use, potentially reducing the risk of HIV infection or ongoing transmission.
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August 19, 2009
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New Evidence in Debate Over Treatment as Prevention
People with viral loads less than 50 copies tend to keep their virus suppressed consistently, which lends weight to the argument that such folks are unlikely to pass their infection on to their HIV-negative sex partners, according to a study published in HIV Medicine and reported by aidsmap.
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August 18, 2009
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New Synthetic Proteins Block HIV
Synthetic proteins dubbed “foldamers” effectively keep HIV from infecting cells in test tube studies and could point the way to future treatments, according to an announcement by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
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August 17, 2009
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Gene Predicts Poor HCV Treatment Response in Blacks
Lack of a favorable genetic polymorphism (like a mutation) in people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) predicts about 50 percent of all HCV treatment failures, according to a study published online August 16 in Nature. Because blacks are less than half as likely to have the favorable gene than white and Hispanic patients, this goes a long way toward explaining why they respond a lot less frequently to HCV treatment.
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August 14, 2009
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First Generic Atripla Approved for Developing Nations
The first generic version of
the fixed-dose combination tablet Atripla (tenofovir, emtricitabine and
efavirenz) has been granted tentative approval by the Food and Drug
Administration for use in resource-poor countries where the President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is scaling up access to antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy.
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August 13, 2009
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Activists Persuade Glaxo to Alter Integrase Inhibitor Study
GlaxoSmithKline and Shionogi & Co., co-developers of an experimental integrase inhibitor named S/GSK1349572 (GSK-572), have agreed to restrict enrollment in an early clinical trial of the drug, based on concerns raised by European and North American activists. The protocol amendment was announced in an August 13 joint press release issue by the pharmaceutical companies and two activist groups involved.
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| August 11, 2009
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| August 10, 2009
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August 07, 2009
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High Viral Load Patients Equally Fine on Epzicom or Truvada
People who start antiretroviral treatment for the first time with a viral load over 100,000 do equally well on a regimen containing abacavir (found in Ziagen, Epzicom and Trizivir) as on a regimen containing tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla), according to a study published in the September 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. These results counter a previously reported study that suggested abacavir—notably its Epzicom co-formulation with lamivudine—is less likely to keep viral load undetectable among people initiating HIV treatment with high viral loads.
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August 06, 2009
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Drug Interaction Confirmed Between Lopid and Kaletra
Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) can significantly lower blood levels of the triglyceride-reducing drug Lopid (gemfibrozil), according to a study published online August 3 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
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August 05, 2009
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Clinical Trial of Diarrhea Drug Continues
The first of a two-stage clinical trial of crofelemer for the treatment of chronic diarrhea in people living with HIV on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has been completed, according to a press release from its developer, Napo Pharmaceuticals Inc. With the selection of a dose, based on the Stage I results of the ADVENT trial, the Stage II exploration of the drug’s safety and effectiveness will commence.
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August 04, 2009
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A New Avenue Opens for Treating KS, CMV and Other Herpes Diseases
Researchers have discovered several drugs with the potential for treating a number of diseases caused by herpes viruses, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), according to study a published online in Nature Chemical Biology. These findings, publicized by the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), may offer hope for people with these diseases who have not responded to available medications or for whom current treatments are too toxic.
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August 03, 2009
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IAS 2009: New Studies Question Abacavir Role in Heart Attack Risk
Use of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) abacavir (found in Ziagen, Epzicom and Trizivir) is not associated with an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to two studies reported on Monday, July 20, at the Fifth International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town. The latest data add to the ongoing debate as to whether there is a link between abacavir and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with one study offering up a potential reason for the perceived increased risk: a higher number of people with underlying kidney disease being treated with abacavir.
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