EDITORIAL

CONFERENCE REPORT

XV International World AIDS Conference, 11-16 July 2004, Bangkok.

BANGKOK: ACCESS TO TREATMENTS

• Dollars, commerce, politics and prejudice all present obstacles to scaling up access to treatment in resource poor countries
• MTCT programmes in South Africa: nevirapine and the minister

BANGKOK: IVDU ISSUES

• Urgency of global access to ARV treatment for IV drug users
• Replace myths with evidence–based policies on IV drug use

BANGKOK: PREGNANCY AND MTCT

• Adding Combivir to single dose nevirapine for reduction of MTCT significantly reduces resistance
• Lopinavir/r levels reduced during pregnancy

BANGKOK: ANTIRETROVIRALS

• Another chance for 3TC in patients with M184V mutation?
• Kaletra monotherapy: small studies and early data
• Lowering dose of d4T can maintain efficacy and reduce side effects

BANGKOK: SIDE EFFECTS

• Three-year renal safety with tenofovir; cystatin may be a useful marker

BANGKOK: PK AND DRUG INTERACTIONS

• Fluconazole increases nevirapine levels and risk of serious hepatotoxicity
• Efavirenz interaction with rifampin may not require dose adjustment in patients with low body weight
• Tipranavir significantly lowers doses of saquinavir, amprenavir and lopinavir/r

BANGKOK: COINFECTION

• Responses to hepatitis vaccinations: an optimum window for protection?
• HBV vaccine, CD4 count and increasing response with double-dose
• Response to Hepatitis A (HAV) vaccine determined by CD4 count

BANGKOK: PAEDIATRICS

• Inventive ways to explain HAART and adherence to children
• Isoniazid has early and unexpected benefit in reducing childhood mortality

BANGKOK: TRANSMISSION

• Lack of keratin overlaying inner foreskin may explain lower HIV infection rates in circumcised men

TREATMENT ACCESS

• A round-up of news about access to treatments with links to sources

ANTIRETROVIRALS

• US FDA approves Glaxo and Gilead drug combinations
• Abbott applies for once-daily license for lopinavir/r
• AIDS activists respond to NIH decision on overriding HIV drug patent

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

• Efficacy of acetyl-l-carnitine for antiretroviral toxic neuropathy

HEPATITIS COINFECTION

• Chiron relaxes patent licenses for hepatitis C

OTHER NEWS

• Activists arrested in Nepal in homophobic atmosphere

CORRESPONDENCE

• SMART study examines the long term benefit risk of interruptions versus continued use of ART

ON THE WEB

• Online treatment journals and newsletters:

MEETINGS AND COURSES

• IAPAC conference in London
• Three-day course on methodological and statistical issues in clinical HIV research

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