HIV Treatment Greatly Improves Brain Illness Survival Combination antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has significantly increased survival in people diagnosed with AIDS-related illnesses of the brain, according to data presented at the 11th European AIDS Conference in Madrid.
October 30, 2007
Is Once-Daily Kaletra an Effective Dosing Option?
An international study comparing Norvir (ritonavir)-boosted Prezista (darunavir) to Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) in people starting treatment for the first time has reported a surprising secondary finding—better virologic control among patients with high pre-therapy viral loads using twice daily, as opposed to once daily, Kaletra.
Pre-treatment CD4 Count Predicts CD4 Gains on Treatment The higher a person’s CD4 count upon starting HIV treatment, the higher their CD4 count will be 60 months later, say British researchers at the 11th European AIDS Conference in Madrid.
Small Steps Forward in HIV Prevention Slow but steady progress is being made on several HIV prevention fronts, say researchers in a special symposium on HIV prevention at the 11th European AIDS Conference.
Crestor Bests Pravachol for Elevated Lipids Crestor is superior to Pravachol in HIV-positive people on antiretroviral therapy who experience LDL cholesterol and triglyceride elevations, according to new data presented at the 11th EACS in Madrid.
New Menu of Antiviral Options Dr. José Gatell talks with David Evans about the latest treatment news on Selzentry, rilpivirine (TMC278) and the continued interest in Kaletra monotherapy.
Children and Challenges: Treating Pediatric HIV Over 2 million children are living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. Dr. José Ramos talks with Peter Staley about the unique challenges facing HIV-positive children and their health care providers.
Why Do Those With HIV Have More Heart Attacks? HIV and its medications may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but Dr. Jens Lundgren tells Peter Staley that there's a lot to be said for preventive strategies.
Rilpivirine Comparable to Sustiva in Treatment First-Timers The experimental non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) rilpivirine is comparable to Sustiva in terms of reducing HIV levels and increasing CD4 counts over 48 weeks in people taking antiretroviral treatment for the first time.
More Rash With Once-Daily Viramune People who used Viramune once daily are more likely to stop treatment due to skin rashes than people who used it twice-a-day.
Similar Efficacy, Better Triglycerides with Invirase vs. Kaletra Final 48-week results from a clinical trial comparing Norvir -boosted Invirase to Kaletra conclude that, among HIV-positive patients starting treatment for the first time, both protease inhibitors are comparable.
Tesamorelin (TH9507) Safe and Effective for 52 Weeks HIV-positive patients with lipodystrophy can be treated safely and effectively with tesamorelin (TH9507) for at least 52 weeks, according to new data presented this week at the 11th European AIDS Conference in Madrid.
October 25, 2007
Strategies for Success With Kaletra Monotherapy
Two reports regarding the experimental use of Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), without other medications, show that it can successfully keep HIV under control, and offer predictions regarding who will most likely benefit from the use of Kaletra monotherapy.
More Promising Data on Selzentry for Drug-Resistant HIV
People taking Selzentry (maraviroc) had greater viral load reductions and CD4 count increases compared to those taking a placebo after 48 weeks in the MOTIVATE 2 study.
Aiming Low: 'Undetectable' Not Just for Treatment Newbies Dr. Jonathan Schapiro tells Peter Staley that an undetectable viral load is almost always an obtainable goal, even for highly treatment-experienced patients with drug-resistant HIV.
October 24, 2007
Poor Adherence May Explain Worse Sustiva Responses Among Blacks Poorer adherence may explain why black patients are less likely to achieve or maintain undetectable viral loads using a Sustiva (efavirenz)-based treatment regimen, compared with white or Hispanic patients.
October 23, 2007
Low Body Weight, Not HIV, Linked to Frail Bones Low body weight is responsible for osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV-positive people, according to a newly reported study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Kaletra Reduces HIV in the Brain Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) significantly reduces HIV levels in the brain, say researchers of a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
ESRD Nearly Six Times Higher in African Americans With HIV The risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is significantly higher in African Americans with HIV than in whites who are HIV positive, according to a press release summarizing a study published in the November Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
October 18, 2007
HIV Increases Risk of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia HIV-positive people using heparin for blood clots are more likely than HIV-negative people using the drug to experience a potentially dangerous drop in their platelet counts, according to a report in the November 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Rapid Liver Damage Possible in HIV/HCV Patients Nearly one quarter of people who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may experience rapid liver damage, say researchers of a study published in the October 2007 issue of AIDS.
Researchers Recommend Screening for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension People with HIV who have unexplained shortness of breath should be screened for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
October 12, 2007
New Study Finds Alcohol Use and Depression Influence Adherence Depression and alcohol consumption are two factors that can significantly impair people’s HIV medication adherence, according to a newly reported study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Isentress Gets FDA Approval The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Merck’s Isentress, the first of a new class of HIV drugs known as integrase inhibitors.
Norvir Dose Lowered for Use With Lexiva People currently taking the protease inhibitor Lexiva in conjunction with Norvir may now lower their Norvir dose from 200 mg per day to 100 mg.
October 10, 2007
Stress May Contribute to HIV Disease Progression
People with HIV who have high levels of stress may progress to AIDS more rapidly, according to a press release summarizing study results reported in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
People on a Failing HIV Regimen May Still See Benefit HIV-positive people with few or no remaining antiretroviral options may still benefit from staying on a drug regimen that is no longer controlling the virus, according to new data published in the October 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Women Aren’t Talking Treatment With Their Docs According to data obtained from the Women Living Positive Survey, 55 percent of women living with HIV have not discussed with their health care provider the ways that living with the virus affects them differently than men, including their treatment options and personal needs, especially around pregnancy.
October 09, 2007
HIV Treatments Protective Against Brain Damage A study published in the October 9 issue of the journal Neurology has found that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may protect the brain from damage by HIV.
October 08, 2007
Better Quality of Life for People With HIV Who Quit Smoking A small study published in the September 2007 issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs reports that people’s HIV-related symptoms and quality of life can improve when they quit smoking.
October 04, 2007
Needle-Free Fuzeon Abandoned for Now Roche and Trimeris, Inc. have announced that they will no longer pursue government approval to market a needle-free injection device for use with their entry inhibitor, Fuzeon (enfuvirtide).
October 03, 2007
Key Protein Blunts Immune System’s Power to Fight HIV Researchers at the Partners AIDS Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital announce that they have uncovered a mechanism that suppresses the immune system’s ability to control HIV, possibly resulting in a new target for HIV treatment.
October 02, 2007
Tesamorelin Promising for Lipodystrophy Over 52 Weeks Theratechnologies has issued a press release to announce favorable safety and efficacy data for its experimental drug, Tesamorelin (TH9507), for HIV-related lipodystrophy.
Scientists Discover a Way to Reach Hidden HIV Researchers at Philadelphia’s Jefferson Medical College have found that blocking small pieces of genetic material called microRNA (miRNA) could help antiretroviral drugs reach HIV that hides out in CD4 cells.
October 01, 2007
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Promising for Neuropathy In a recent article in the journal CNS Drugs, Michael Youle, MD, a noted HIV specialist at London’s Royal Free Hospital, claims that acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), an over-the-counter amino acid supplement, is a promising treatment for a condition known as peripheral neuropathy.
Dr. José Gatell talks with David Evans about the latest treatment news on Selzentry, rilpivirine (TMC278) and the continued interest in Kaletra monotherapy. 
Over 2 million children are living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. Dr. José Ramos talks with Peter Staley about the unique challenges facing HIV-positive children and their health care providers. 
Want to have a baby? Dr. Valerie Stone checks in with David Evans about family planning for couples living with HIV. 
HIV and its medications may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but Dr. Jens Lundgren tells Peter Staley that there's a lot to be said for preventive strategies. 
Dr. Jonathan Schapiro tells Peter Staley that an undetectable viral load is almost always an obtainable goal, even for highly treatment-experienced patients with drug-resistant HIV. 
