Isentress (MK-0518) Results Prove Promising (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Encouraging Data from Two Maraviroc Studies (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Shift in Cancer-Related Deaths in HIV (AIDSmeds.com)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.
February 27, 2007
TH9507 Shows Promise for Lipodystrophy (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Breastfeeding Safer for Some HIV+ Mothers (Reuters Health)Breast-feeding, which helps build a baby's immune system, may be the best option for HIV-infected mothers in developing countries.
February 26, 2007
Fosamax, Calcium, and Vitamin D for Bone Weakness (AIDSmeds.com)Fosamax, combined with calcium and vitamin D supplementation, proves safe and useful for advanced osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV.
Zetia Lowers 'Bad' LDL Cholesterol (AIDSmeds.com)The cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia provides useful in the management of moderately increased "bad" LDL cholesterol levels in HIV.
More Lipoatrophy with Sustiva vs. Kaletra (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Double-dose Viread effective against NRTI-resistant HIV (Reuters Health)
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.
One in 10 Infected with Drug-Resistant HIV (AIDSmeds.com)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.
February 23, 2007
Low Risk of Premature Births with HIV Treatment (AIDSmeds.com)A review of 14 pregnancy studies suggests that antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy is associated with a very low risk of premature births.
February 21, 2007
HIV Protein to Fight Cancer (AIDSmeds.com)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.
February 20, 2007
Are We Spending Too Much on HIV? (AIDSmeds.com)
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.
February 16, 2007
Protein Discovery May Aid Vaccine Development (AIDSmeds.com)The discovery of a key portion of an HIV surface protein may have positive implications in the development of an effective HIV vaccine.
Prezista Receives European Approval (Reuters Health)
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.
February 15, 2007
Disclosure May Boost CD4 Counts (Reuters Health)
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.
February 14, 2007
Herpes Raises Pregnancy Transmission Risk (Reuters Health)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.
February 13, 2007
PN Study Supports Medical Marijuana (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Metabolic Syndrome No More Common in HIV (AIDSmeds.com)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.
February 08, 2007
IL-7 May Protect CD4 Cells in HIV (Reuters Health)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.
February 07, 2007
GSK Offers $50 Savings Card to Lexiva Users (AIDSmeds.com)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.
February 02, 2007
Hep C: Heavy Drinking Riskier for Women than Men (Reuters Health)
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.
HIV Rates Drop Among Florida Blacks (Reuters Health)
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.
February 01, 2007
Asthma Med for IRIS? (AIDSmeds.com)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.
Despite Setback, Advocates Push for Continued Microbicide Research (AIDSmeds.com)HIV prevention advocates are emphasizing the importance of continued research into new HIV prevention options, despite the recent discontinuation of the Phase III effectiveness trials of the microbicide candidate, cellulose sulfate (CS).
