May 19 is National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- Details
- Category: Race/Ethnicity
- Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
This Sunday, May 19, marks the 9th annual observation of National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, an occasion to increase awareness of HIV within these communities and stress the importance of testing and treatment.
Sangamo Reports Zinc Finger Gene Therapy Leads to Long-term CD4 Cell Gains, Shrinking HIV Reservoirs
- Details
- Category: Search for a Cure
- Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
An experimental gene therapy technique that modifies CD4 T-cells to protect them from viral entry produced lasting CD4 cell increases with a single infusion, as well as reduction in proviral DNA reservoirs and decreased viral load in 2 patients who underwent antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption, according to data presented this week at the 16th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Salt Lake City.
Antiretroviral Therapy May Have Protective Effect on HIV+ Children's Hearts
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 00:00
- Written by NIH
Long-term use of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not impair heart function in children and adolescents with perinatal HIV infection, and in fact appears to have a "cardioprotective" effect, according to a study published in the April 22, 2013, advance online edition of JAMA Pediatrics.
Very Early Antiretroviral Therapy Does Not Prevent Immune Activation
- Details
- Category: Search for a Cure
- Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
People who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute HIV infection and experienced sustained viral suppression saw a substantial decrease in immune activation markers on their CD8 T-cells after 2 years of treatment, but often not to the level seen in HIV negative individuals, according to a report in the April 15, 2013, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Study Suggests Why Adult Circumcision Helps Prevent HIV Infection
- Details
- Category: HIV Prevention
- Published on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 00:00
- Written by American Society for Microbiology
Removal of the foreskin reduces the presence of anaerobic bacteria, which enables the immune system maintain control of sexually transmitted pathogens such as HIV, according to a study from Uganda reported in the April 16, 2013, edition of the open-access online journal mBio, published by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Updated Opportunistic Infection Guidelines Add Info on IRIS, Hepatitis, Drug Interactions
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment Guidelines
- Published on Thursday, 09 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
On May 7 the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of Americaannounced the release of revised Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents, updating the previous version from 2009.
CROI 2013: Random Anal Biopsies Improve Detection of Pre-cancerous Lesions
- Details
- Category: HIV-Related Conditions
- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Matt Sharp
Performing random anal biopsies increases the rate of diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) during high-resolution anoscopy, researchers from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City reported at the recent 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013).
Efavirenz More Effective than Nevirapine for Children with HIV
- Details
- Category: Approved HIV Drugs
- Published on Thursday, 09 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
HIV positive African children and adolescents treated with efavirenz (Sustiva) were less likely to experience virological failure than those using nevirapine (Viramune), according to a large comparative study published in the May 1, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association. Nevirapine, however, is less expensive and more widely available for children in low-income countries.
CROI 2013: Gene Therapy Studies Show Potential for HIV Control without Drugs
- Details
- Category: Search for a Cure
- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Gus Cairns
Modified immune cells that make their own fusion inhibitors reduce levels of HIV-like virus and resisted infection in animal and test tube studies, researchers reported at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) last month in Atlanta.
FDA Declines Approval of Elvitegravir and Cobicistat as Stand-alone HIV Meds
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Tuesday, 07 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected approval of Gilead Sciences' integrase inhibitor elvitegravir and pharmacoenhancer cobicistat -- components of the 4-in-1 Stribild quad pill -- as single agents for treatment of HIV, the company announced last week.
April 10 is National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day
- Details
- Category: Children & Adolescents
- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
Wednesday, April 10, is the first-ever National Youth HIV + AIDS Awareness Day, an occasion to raise awareness of the epidemic among young people in the U.S.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommends Routine HIV Screening for Adolescents and Adults
- Details
- Category: HIV Testing & Diagnosis
- Published on Friday, 03 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
On April 30 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a "Grade A," or highest-level, recommendation that all adolescents and adults ages 15 through 65 years should receive routine HIV screening. "These recommendations...reinforce the importance of people everywhere knowing their HIV status and, if positive, accessing care, receiving treatment and other prevention services," said CDC's Jonathan Mermin.
CROI 2013: Growing Number of HIV+ New Yorkers Achieve Viral Load Suppression [VIDEO]
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Gregory Fowler
Expanded testing, earlier treatment, and better engagement in care has led to more people with HIV in New York City achieving and maintaining undetectable viral load, according to study findings presented at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) last month in Atlanta.
FDA Approves Efavirenz (Sustiva) for HIV+ Children Ages 3 Months to 3 Years
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Friday, 03 May 2013 00:00
- Written by Bristol-Myers Squibb
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 3 that it has approved a supplemental new drug application for use of efavirenz (Sustiva) by infants and young children with HIV. The new dosing recommendation includes the option to sprinkling capsule contents on food for children who are unable to swallow pills.
CROI 2013: Antiretroviral Therapy Intensification plus IL-7 Does Not Reduce HIV Reservoir
- Details
- Category: Search for a Cure
- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
An intensive antiretroviral regimen containing raltegravir (Isentress) and maraviroc (Selzentry) plus the immune-modulator interleukin 7 (IL-7) was unable to decrease the amount of residual HIV in resting CD4 T-cells, investigators with the ERAMUNE-01 trial reported at the recent 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) in Atlanta.
Atripla Label Adds Drug Interactions with Hepatitis C Protease Inhibitors Boceprevir and Telaprevir
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Friday, 26 April 2013 00:00
- Written by FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that the product label information for Atripla -- the HIV single-tablet regimen containing efavirenz/tenofovir/emtricitabine -- has been updated to include information about drug-drug interactions with the hepatitis C virus protease inhibitors boceprevir (Victrelis) and telaprevir (Incivek or Incivo).
French Cohort of HIV+ People Treated Early Appear to Control Virus
- Details
- Category: Search for a Cure
- Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 00:00
- Written by Liz Highleyman
A group of French HIV patients who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the earliest stage of infection appear to be controlling the virus despite prolonged treatment interruption, according to a recent report in PLoS Pathogens. While the findings do not represent a cure, they may offer insight to help certain people with HIV achieve a "functional cure," or periods off treatment without disease progression.
NIH Halts HIV Vaccine Study Due to Lack of Effectiveness
- Details
- Category: HIV Prevention
- Published on Friday, 26 April 2013 00:00
- Written by NIH
The National Institutes of Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesannounced this week that it will halt administration of an experimental HIV vaccine in the HVTN 505 trial, after an interim data analysis found that it neither prevented new HIV infections nor lowered viral load among people who did become infected.
CROI 2013: Researchers Look at Neurological Complications among People with HIV
- Details
- Category: HIV-Related Conditions
- Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 00:00
- Written by Matt Sharp
Data from a small, yet well-designed trial to evaluate whether particular antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens penetrate the central nervous system (CNS) and enhance neurocognitive performance were among several interesting findings regarding neurological complications among people with HIV presented at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) this month in Atlanta. Another study looked at similarities between Alzheimer's disease and neurocognitive impairment in people with HIV.
Reformulated Tenofovir Gel Found Safe and Acceptable for Anal Sex
- Details
- Category: HIV Prevention
- Published on Friday, 26 April 2013 00:00
- Written by Microbicide Trials Network
Men and women found a microbicide gel containing 1% tenofovir -- which has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection during vaginal sex -- to also be acceptable for anal use after it was reformulated to reduce the amount of an ingredient that led to irritation in an earlier study, according to a report in the April 3, 2013, edition of PLoS ONE.
CROI 2013: Transmitted Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Holds Steady at 16% [VIDEO]
- Details
- Category: HIV Treatment
- Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 00:00
- Written by Gregory Fowler
Approximately 1 in 6 analyzed HIV sequences showed evidence of antiretroviral drug resistance, with NNRTIs being particularly vulnerable, according to a CDC analysis presented at the recent 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) in Atlanta.
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