AIDSmeds - Top Stories

Treating Anal Lesions Nonsurgically
Nonsurgical treatment of precancerous anal lesions using an infrared coagulator (IRC) has been found safe and effective in a small study, according to an article in the Journal of Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

November 28, 2007

HIV, ARVs Don’t Increase Blood Pressure Risk
High blood pressure is no more common among HIV-positive women compared with HIV-negative women, according to a study in AIDS.

Sculptra Modestly Improves Facial Wasting
Treatment with Sculptra (poly-L-lactic acid), one of two FDA-approved treatments for facial fat loss, results in only modest increases in tissue thickness but high patient satisfaction, according to a study published in the December 15 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

November 27, 2007

Fosamax Safe and Effective for Bone Mineral Loss
Fosamax (alendronate sodium), added to calcium and vitamin D supplementation, is a safe and effective treatment option for HIV-positive people with bone mineral loss, according to final data from a clinical trial published in the November 30 issue of AIDS.

November 26, 2007

AIDS Activism Training in Atlanta, December 7 & 8
The AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC), a national coalition of AIDS activists, will be conducting a training workshop on activism for HIV prevention, drug development and treatment access in Atlanta on December 7 and 8.

Avandia Negatively Affects Cholesterol in HIV-Positive Patients
People taking Avandia (rosiglitazone) to treat HIV-associated fat loss had unhealthy changes in cholesterol that can lead to heart problems, according to a study published in the November 30 issue of AIDS.

November 20, 2007

Metabolic Syndrome Increases Risk for Diabetes and Heart Disease After Starting Treatment
People who develop metabolic syndrome after starting HIV treatment have an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published in the November 30 issue of AIDS.

November 16, 2007

High Rate of HIV Superinfection Found in Kenyan Sex Workers
HIV superinfection—when a person is reinfected with a second strain of HIV—has been found in a cluster of female Kenyan sex workers, according to a newly published study in the online journal PLoS ONE.

November 14, 2007

Suppressing HIV Doesn’t Stop Immune Activation
Signs of immune over-activation has been found in the spinal fluid of volunteers who have suppressed HIV to undetectable levels for four years, according to a newly published study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

November 13, 2007

FDA Approves Low-Dose Kaletra for Kids
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new low-dose Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) tablet, sold as Aluvia in many other parts of the world, for use in HIV-positive children, according to the drug’s maker, Abbott.

Herpes Drug Fights HIV Too
The anti-herpes drug Valtrex (valacyclovir) has been found to lower HIV viral load in the blood and genital secretions of men with underlying herpes simplex vius-2 (HSV-2) infection, according to a report on a study from AIDSmap.

November 12, 2007

Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) Risk Factors Identified
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified risk factors for immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), symptoms of opportunistic infections seen in some people who are otherwise responding well to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.

People With Kidney Disease Undertreated for HIV
People with both HIV and kidney disease are not being treated appropriately for HIV, leading to greater death rates, say researchers of a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

GSK Sues Abbott Over Norvir Price Hike
GlaxoSmithKline Plc filed a lawsuit against Abbott on Friday, November 9, over the price of Norvir, a boosting agent that works in conjunction with protease inhibitors.

November 09, 2007

Single-Dose Drug Combination Reduces Non-Nuke Resistance Risk for Moms and Kids
Single-dose Viread plus Emtriva can greatly reduce the risk of rapid HIV resistance to NNRTIs in HIV-positive pregnant women using one-time Viramune at the time of delivery.

November 08, 2007

New Worries With AIDS Vaccine
Previous immunity to adenovirus 5 (Ad5), a common cold virus, may explain why volunteers receiving Merck’s preventive HIV vaccine may have been more likely to become infected with HIV than those receiving placebo injections, suggest researchers associated with the international STEP study.

November 07, 2007

Half of Patients Had AIDS at Time of HIV Diagnosis
A new study has found that half of people in the Veteran’s Administration (VA) medical system who tested HIV positive already had AIDS at the time of their diagnosis, according to an announcement by researchers at Yale and Yeshiva University.

New Guidelines on Treatment of Pregnant Women Released
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has significantly updated its guidelines on the treatment of HIV-positive pregnant women and their newborns.

November 06, 2007

Major Lab Company Licenses Tropism Test
Quest Diagnostics, the nation’s largest diagnostic testing company, has announced that it will begin offering an HIV tropism test, Pathway Diagnostics’ SensiTrop assay.

November 05, 2007

GSK Discontinues Agenerase Liquid and 50mg Capsules
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced that it recently discontinued the sale of Agenerase (amprenavir) liquid and 50mg capsules in the United States.

November 02, 2007

Early Treatment Reduces Risk of Three Common Complications
Does starting HIV treatment early increase the risk of complications like peripheral neuropathy, anemia and kidney problems? On the contrary, say new data from the HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS).