TREATMENT ACCESS
- Activist anger over US ‘ambush’ of the Global Fund
- $15 billion AIDS bill signed, but full funding shaky
- New GAA report: US and G8 must act fast to rescue Global Fund
- World Health Assembly approves resolution supporting public health considerations in drug policy
- WHO Assembly analysis
- Bill Gates to give $1 million to Brazil’s AIDS programme
- Adherence is not a barrier to successful antiretroviral therapy in South Africa
ANTIRETROVIRALS
- T-20 approved in Europe
- Tenofovir European licence extended to first-line therapy
- FDA approves atazanavir in the US – a once daily PI
- Atanazavir and saquinavir in salvage therapy: reduced effect on lipids shown in pilot study
- Major change to OPTIMA salvage therapy study in the UK
WOMEN
SIDE EFFECTS
- FDA says some follow-up drug studies are never started
- Lamotrigine shows some benefit for HIV-associated painful sensory neuropathies
LIPODYSTROPHY AND METABOLIC COMPLICATIONS
- HIV and heart disease: D:A:D prevalence rates show clear importance of accessing CVD risk for HIV patients
- HAART increases body fat at first; both d4T and AZT lead to subsequent fat loss
- Lipoatrophy improved by switching from d4T to abacavir
IMMUNOLOGY
- T cell activation is associated with decreased CD4+ T cell gains during ARV therapy
- Structured treatment interruptions trial shows no benefit
OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS
- New antibiotic appears effective against MDR-TB
- Tobacco use increases risk for pulmonary diseases and weakens response to therapy in patients on HAART
- EBV levels in HIV-positive patients are not reduced by HAART
- The efficacy of fluconazole (Diflucan) 600 mg/day versus itraconazole (Sporanox) 600 mg/day for treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients
PAEDIATRICS
- Risk factors for paediatric HIV malignancies
- TREC analysis shows little thymic damage in HIV-positive adolescents
- Metabolic abnormalities in protease inhibitor-treated and protease naïve children
HEPATITIS COINFECTION
- Hepatitis A vaccine provides affordable protection
- PEG-interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for treatment of CHC patients who failed or relapsed after interferon-based therapy
- Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin improves fibrosis in non-responders to standard interferon therapy
DIAGNOSTICS
OTHER NEWS
- First HIV-positive heart transplant – with two year successful follow-up
- Drug treatment likely to be based on biased evidence
ON THE WEB
h-tb
HIV Treatment Bulletin
HTB is a monthly journal published in print and electronic format by HIV i-Base. As with all i-Base publications, subscriptions are free and can be ordered directly from the i-Base website:
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Editor in Chief: Paul Blanchard
Editor: Simon Collins
Associate Editor: Graham McKerrow
Commissioning Editor: Polly Clayden
Medical Consultants:
Dr Sanjay Bhagani,
Royal Free Hospital, London.Dr Karen Beckerman,
Bellevue Hospital, New York.Dr Gareth Hardy,
Chelsea and Westminster Hosp, London.Dr Saye Khoo,
University of Liverpool Hospital.Prof. Clive Loveday,
International Laboratory Virology Centre.Dr Graeme Moyle,
Chelsea & Westminster Hosp, London.Dr Stefan Mauss,
Düsseldorf.Dr Stephen Taylor,
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.Dr Gareth Tudor-Williams,
Imperial College, London.
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