Durable Efficacy and Safety With Isentress Treatment
Year-long follow-up data from two Phase III clinical trials of Isentress were reported this week at the 15th CROI, confirming that the drug offers durable antiretroviral activity to those in need of new treatment options.

Durable Efficacy Seen in Studies of New NNRTI Intelence
Forty-eight weeks of treatment with Intelence, combined with an optimized background regimen, is associated with greater viral load reductions and CD4 count increases compared to placebo among HIV-positive patients with limited treatment options due to drug resistance.

Once-Daily Viramune Is at Least as Efficient as Twice-Daily Dosing
Once-daily Viramune is at least as effective as twice-daily dosing of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), according to a review of data from two European cohort studies.

TDM-Guided PI Dose Increases of Limited Benefit
Using therapeutic drug monitoring to guide protease inhibitor dosing in treatment-experienced patients was generally considered to be ineffective, but with benefits seen in black and Hispanic patients, according to the results of a recently completed ACTG study. 

Once- vs. Twice-Daily Kaletra Tablets: Similar Safety and Potency
Once- and twice-daily doses of Kaletra tablets have similar tolerability and comparable efficacy, according to 48-week results from a clinical trial reported yesterday at the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). 

Epzicom Comparable to Truvada as First-Line NRTI Choice
Epzicom is comparable to Truvada in people starting HIV treatment, according to data from the first head-to-head comparison of the two leading NRTI options.

Norvir/Reyataz Comparable to Kaletra for First-Line Therapy
Early data from a study comparing Norvir-boosted Reyataz to Kaletra suggest that both drugs have similar effectiveness in HIV-positive patients starting therapy for the first time.

Abacavir, Didanosine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk
Abacavir—the active drug in Ziagen and a component of Epzicom and Trizivir—may double the risk of a heart attack in HIV-positive people currently using the drug, a potential concern for individuals with other major heart disease risk factors.

Sexual Reinfection With HCV Following Treatment
Reinfection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), after undergoing successful treatment for the liver infection, can occur following a subsequent sexual exposure to the virus, according new data involving eight gay and bisexual HIV-positive men reported today at the 15th CROI. 

VIRxSYS Gene Therapy Makes Progress
Researchers have reported encouraging results from a clinical trial of a gene therapy approach to treat HIV.

Prezista Effective and Safe in Positive Kids
Prezista is showing promise for treatment-experienced HIV-positive children between the ages of six and 17, according to early data from a clinical trial reported this week at the 15th CROI in Boston.

Nanotechnology May Yield Long-Lasting Meds
Some of the most exciting news to emerge from the 15th CROI this week in Boston involved the fruitful discoveries stemming from the fusion of two modern sciences: drug discovery and nanotechnology.

Vicriviroc Shows Well in Treatment-Experienced Patients
Forty-eight weeks of therapy with the CCR5-blocking entry inhibitor vicriviroc, notably a 30 mg once-daily dose of the drug combined with a Norvir (ritonavir) booster, leads to greater viral load reductions compared with placebo among HIV-positive patients with limited treatment options due to drug resistance.

Good Bacteria Reduces Vaginal HIV Levels
Healthy bacteria (Lactobacillus) limits the amount of HIV detected in the genital secretions of women infected with the virus, Seattle and Rochester researchers report.

Male Circumcision Doesn't Reduce Women's HIV Risk
Male circumcision may reduce men’s risk of being infected with HIV, but it doesn’t appear to curb the transmission of the virus from men who are already positive to their female partners, according to new data reported earlier this week at the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.

Women & HIV Treatment
Regan Hofmann talks with Judith Currier, MD, about treatment and research advances in women living with HIV, and learns that many women are doing quite well.

World of Prevention: Vaccines and More
Regan Hofmann talks with Susan Buchbinder, MD, of the San Francisco Department of Public Health about new data on circumcision, vaccines, microbicides and other possible HIV prevention tools.

Condom-Free Sex? Controversial Swiss Declaration
Regan Hofmann talks with Bernard Hirschel, MD, of the University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland about a controversial Swiss position paper declaring that HIV-positive people with undetectable viral loads cannot transmit HIV.

New Hope for Treatment Experienced
David Evans talks with UCLA researcher, David Hardy, MD, about the latest data on antiretroviral options for people who are heavily treatment experienced and learns that the treatment landscape has changed radically.

HIV & Your Heart: Part I
David Evans talks with St. Luke’s Roosevelt’s Donald Kotler, MD about the role of inflammation in heart disease and surprising research on Ziagen and heart attacks.

HIV & Your Heart: Part II
David Evans continues his discussion with Donald Kotler, MD, talking about diet, lifestyle and new treatments to combat belly fat.

Morris Jackson: Survivor and Treatment Activist
David Evans talks with long-term survivor and treatment activist, Morris Jackson, about conference highlights and the benefits of getting involved.

Prevention and Women: HIV-positive and HIV-negative
Regan Hofmann talks with Harvard’s Valerie Stone, MD, about the challenges and opportunities in working with women, both HIV-positive and HIV-negative, to prevent HIV transmission.

Refining HIV Treatment for New Med Takers
David Evans talks with Los Angeles HIV specialist, David Hardy, MD, about research to refine and enhance treatment for people taking HIV medications for the first time.

AIDS Survival: Progress Not Perfection
David Evans talks with Douglas Ward, MD, about success in controlling AIDS-related complications and progress still to be made.