Reyataz/Isentress Combo Spares Norvir and Nukes, But Is Integrase Resistance a Concern?
A regimen consisting of Reyataz (atazanavir) and Isentress (raltegravir)—used without low-dose Norvir (ritonavir) boosting or any nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)—is performing well in a clinical trial involving Norvir-boosted Reyataz plus Truvada (tenofovir plus emtricitabine) as a comparison, according to preliminary data reported Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. Of potential concern, however, are four cases of resistance to Isentress that have been documented thus far.

Possibly No Survival Benefit to Starting HIV Treatment at CD4s of 500 or More
People who start antiretroviral therapy early—when their CD4 cell counts are 500 or greater—might not significantly lower their risk of AIDS or death over a three-year period compared with people who wait to start therapy when until their CD4 counts drop below 500. These data were presented Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Once-Daily Prezista/Norvir Monotherapy Largely Effective Over 96 Weeks
People taking once-daily Norvir (ritonavir)-boosted Prezista (darunavir) monotherapy were able to maintain control over HIV for 96 week about as well as people who switched to Novir-boosted Prezista plus two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). These data were presented Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Abacavir/Lamivudine Equivalent to Tenofovir/Emtricitabine in Canadian Cohort Study
People taking an antiretroviral (ARV) combination including abacavir and lamivudine were just as likely to maintain an undetectable viral load over one year as people taking a combination including tenofovir and emtricitabine—regardless of their initial HIV levels. These results, from a Canadian HIV cohort, were presented Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Strategies for a Cure Reviewed in Vienna
True to tradition, several world-renowned key opinion leaders opened this year’s International AIDS Conference, being held July 18 to 23 in Vienna, with a detailed review of the state of the HIV epidemic. Among the speakers was Sharon Lewin, FRACP, PhD, director of the infectious diseases unit at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, who made a provocative call to move full-steam ahead with strategies to cure HIV.

Kaletra/Isentress Shows Promise as HIV Nuceleoside-Sparing Regimen for First-Line Treatment
A nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-sparing regimen consisting of Kaletra (lopinavir and ritonavir) plus Isentress (raltegravir) is comparable with a standard regimen consisting of Kaletra plus Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) in people living with HIV starting antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for the first time, according to 48-week study results reported Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Switch From Sustiva to Intelence Reduces Central Nervous System Side Effects
People with central nervous system (CNS) side effects, who switched from Sustiva (efavirenz) plus two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) to Intelence (etravirine) plus two NRTIs, had a significant reduction in those side effects. These data were reported in a scientific poster presentation Monday, July 19, at the International AIDS Conference (IAC), being held July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Protease Inhibitor-to-Isentress Switch is Effective, Lipid Friendly
Replacing a Norvir (ritonavir)?boosted protease inhibitor with Isentress (raltegravir) may be an effective option—with improvements in blood lipid levels—for HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads, according to the results of two Spanish studies reported Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

More Details of TBR-652’s Antiviral and Anti-Inflammatory Potential Reported
TBR-652, which blocks CCR5 receptors and is being developed by Tobira Therapeutics, not only has promising activity against HIV but may also have important disease-reducing anti-inflammatory properties, according to an update from a Phase II study of the drug reported Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

ViiV HIV Integrase Inhibitor Performing Well in First-Time Treatment Study
The experimental integrase inhibitor S/GSK1349572 (S/GSK-572) reduced viral load to undetectable levels in 96 percent of first-time HIV treatment takers receiving 10 milligrams (mg) of the drug in a clinical trial, compared with 60 percent of those receiving standard doses of Sustiva (efavirenz), according to preliminary 16-week data reported Friday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Rilpivirine Has Similar Efficacy and Better Tolerability Than Sustiva
Rilpivirine (TMC278) was similar to Sustiva (efavirenz) in two large clinical trials but demonstrated much fewer central nervous system (CNS) side effects, according to a presentation Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Extended-Release Viramune Has Comparable Safety and Efficacy to Standard Viramune
Viramune XR—an extended-release version of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine (NNRTI)—is comparable to standard twice-daily dosing of the available immediate-release formulation of the drug, according to study results reported Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

New ViiV Integrase Inhibitor Effective Against Some Isentress-Resistant HIV Strains
An experimental integrase inhibitor being developed by Shionogi Pharmaceuticals and ViiV Healthcare—currently dubbed S/GSK-572—effectively reduces HIV levels in at least some people with HIV resistant to Isentress (raltegravir). These findings were reported in a presentation Monday, July 19, at the International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Argos’s Dendritic Cell Therapy Reduces HIV During Treatment Interruption
A dendritic cell therapy by Argos Therapeutics, called AGS-004, was able to keep virus at least partially under control during a 12-week antiretroviral (ARV) treatment interruption, according to a study presented Monday, July 19, at the International AIDS Conference (IAC), being held July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Health Care Providers and People With HIV Not Communicating Effectively
Many people living with HIV and their health care providers are not communicating effectively about critical health-related conditions, according to the results of an international survey released on Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Tenofovir Microbicidal Gel Significantly Cuts HIV Infection Rate
After decades of research, a microbicidal gel—in this case made from the antiretroviral drug tenofovir—has finally proved effective in preventing transmission of HIV in women, cutting the overall infection rate by 39 percent. These data were reported Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna and were published online July 19 in the journal Science.

5.2 Million People With HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Now on Treatment
An estimated 5.2 million people in low and middle-income countries were receiving lifesaving HIV treatment at the end of 2009, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) update on Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna.

At Least 31 Countries Deporting People Living With HIV
At least 31 countries still deport people living with HIV, according to a survey of 197 countries conducted by Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe and Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

HIV Cases in Young People Are Falling Around the World
The number of young people living with HIV around the world is falling, according to a Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) study presented Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Prevention Is Failing to Target MSM When They’re Young Enough
If we are going to prevent HIV transmission in young men who have sex with men (MSM), we must find strategies to reach them when they are in their early teens. So say researchers who presented a study Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

HPV Cancer Vaccine Effective for Heterosexual, Gay and Bisexual Men
Gardasil, an approved vaccine active against four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), can substantially reduce the risk of cancerous and non-cancerous varieties of anal and penile lesions in men, according to data from a large clinical trial reported Friday, July 23, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. Importantly, the study enrolled a sizeable number of men who have sex with men (MSM) and demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of pre-cancerous anal lesions caused by HPV.

Study Finds PrEP Is Safe in Gay and Bi Men
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) is safe for men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a U.S. study presented Friday, July 23, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna.

Circumcision Unlikely to Have Major HIV Prevention Benefit Among Gay Men
Circumcising men who have sex with men (MSM) is likely to have a negligible effect on the rate of new HIV cases in the United States, according to a survey conducted in San Francisco in 2008 and reported Thursday, July 22, at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Microbicide Success Story: What It Means and Where We Go Next
We know now that a tenofovir microbicidal gel can reduce HIV transmission in women by up to 54 percent and herpes simplex virus (HSV2) by about half. What else have we learned, however, about how tenofovir accomplishes this feat? Moreover, what do the CAPRISA 004 results mean for other prevention trials underway, and how long might it take before this microbicide makes it into the hands of women around the world?

MACS: Childhood Sex Abuse and Victimization Linked to Increased HIV Risk
Gay and bisexual men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) who reported sexual abuse and social shaming in childhood experience psychosocial health problems later in life known to substantially increase the risk of HIV infection, according to data reported Wednesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Full-Scale HIV Treatment and Prevention Could Save Millions of Lives
A full-scale rollout of HIV treatment and available prevention methods could avert 6.75 million new infections and 4.7 million AIDS-related deaths in China and South Africa alone, according to a study presented Wednesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Tenofovir Microbicidal Gel Significantly Cuts HIV Infection Rate
After decades of research, a microbicidal gel—in this case made from the antiretroviral drug tenofovir—has finally proved effective in preventing transmission of HIV in women, cutting the overall infection rate by 39 percent. These data were reported Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna and were published online July 19 in the journal Science.

HIV Cases in Young People Are Falling Around the World
The number of young people living with HIV around the world is falling, according to a Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) study presented Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Preliminary Results Suggest Good Safety and Adherence Profile for PrEP
People taking either daily or intermittent pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection had few side effects and relatively good adherence to these regimens, according to data presented Monday, July 19, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) being held July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Global Survey: Stigma, Isolation and Discrimination Still Pervasive
HIV-associated stigma, isolation and discrimination remain pervasive problems in the United States and other parts of the world and continue to have profound effects on people’s willingness to disclose their serostatus to key individuals in their lives. This is the finding of a global survey of 2,035 people living with HIV conducted by the International Association for Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) on Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Universal HIV Treatment Access No Guarantee of Health for Socially Disadvantaged
Socially marginalized people living with HIV, despite universal access to care and treatment, are still dying of AIDS-related illnesses at a high rate, according to a study presented Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

OM-85 BV: A Bacterial Vaccine Against Respiratory Problems in People with HIV and COPD?
Can a capsule containing bits of eight bacteria decrease rates of recurrent respiratory infections in people living with HIV who also are at high risk for chronic pulmonary disease? According to a small observational cohort study conducted in Milan and reported Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, this may be possible.

Low Vitamin D Levels Not Associated With HIV Drugs
Low vitamin D levels in people with HIV were not associated with any particular antiretroviral (ARV) medication, nor with signs of bone loss, according to a study presented Wednesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna.

Longer Duration of HIV Infection Might Increase the Risk of Brain Disorders
The longer a person lives with HIV, the more he or she might be at risk of neurocognitive impairment (NCI), according to a study presented Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna. This is one explanation offered by Igor Grant, MD, from the University of California at San Diego, and his colleagues from the CHARTER study, for their finding that NCI is more prevalent now, in the modern era of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) than in the pre-CART era.

Nearly 75 Percent of People With HIV Might Have Bone Problems
Roughly half of people living with HIV in one study had mild to moderate bone mineral loss (osteopenia) and another one quarter had more severe bone mineral loss (osteoporosis), according to data presented Thursday, July 22, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.

Health Care Providers and People With HIV Not Communicating Effectively
Many people living with HIV and their health care providers are not communicating effectively about critical health-related conditions, according to the results of an international survey released on Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Non-AIDS Cancers Occurring at Earlier Age Among People With HIV
Not only are people living with HIV more likely to be diagnosed with a cancer not typically associated with AIDS, but they are also more likely to be diagnosed with a malignancy at a younger age. These are the sobering findings of a study conducted in Atlanta and reported Wednesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Hep C Treatment Effective in HIV Patients With Normal Liver Enzymes
People infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) who have normal liver alanine transaminase (ALT) levels may benefit from pegylated interferon/ribavirin treatment, according to new data presented Tuesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. These results are important, as people with HCV and normal ALT levels are frequently told that treatment is not necessary.

Aging Might Have a Smaller Impact on Immune Function Than Suspected
People who are 55 or older have roughly the same degree of immune activation as younger people, according to a small study presented Wednesday, July 21, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna. This runs counter to speculation that aging with HIV significantly worsens immune activation.

Viramune Boosts Hep C Treatment Efficacy in People With HIV
People coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) who receive Viramune (nevirapine) may respond better to pegylated interferon/ribavirin HCV treatment compared with those receiving Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), according to a retrospective study reported Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

HIV/HCV Coinfection Further Increases Risk of Bone Fractures
Compared with people living with HIV, people coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) appear to face an even higher risk of bone fractures, according to new data reported Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Fewer Malignancies Seen in Those Taking Selzentry
People taking the entry inhibitor Selzentry (maraviroc) were no more likely to develop cancer than people taking either Sustiva (efavirenz) or a placebo, according to a study presented Tuesday, July 20, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC), taking place July 18 to 23 in Vienna.