AIDS Weekly articles from May 2002

AIDS Weekly archives from May 2002

Efavirenz improves quality of life despite mood alterations.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Spain say that treatment with the promising antiviral drug efavirenz can improve the quality of life for HIV patients. Dr. Carmina R. Fumaz...

Study finds acute measles supresses HIV replication.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is briefly suppressed during acute measles, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A study of HIV-infected...

Protease inhibitors may increase heart disease risk.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Drugs that block HIV protease activity may increase the risk of cardiac dysfunction, researchers in France warn. "Cardiovascular complications occurring in...

Human herpesvirus 8 strongly affects endothelial cell gene expression.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The virus thought to be responsible for a number of AIDS-related cancers has a profound effect on gene expression by dermal microvascular endothelial cells...

Intensive antiretroviral-chemotherapy effective against lymphoma/leukemia.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Texas say that high-dose chemotherapy, combined with potent antiviral drugs, can offer hope to patients suffering from AIDS-related hematological...

Study supports triple combination therapy for HIV.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New evidence in the British Medical Journal supports the use of up to three antiviral drugs (triple therapy) to treat people with HIV. Researchers in Birmingham, England, reviewed 54 trials...

Cyclosporin A may be effective adjunct to antiretroviral therapy.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Europe say that cyclosporin A (CsA) can improve the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection. "Primary HIV-1...

More than 19,000 people tested HIV-positive in Vietnam last year.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- More than 19,000 people tested positive for HIV in Vietnam last year, bringing the total number of known carriers of the virus that causes AIDS to more than 46,000, an official said. Medical...

Company reports 4Q, year-end 2001 financial results.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., (KERX; KRX), a drug discovery company focused on developing innovative therapies through its proprietary technologies for the treatment of critical medical conditions...

Phase II trials begin for a low-dose oral interferon product.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Atrix Laboratories, Inc., (ATRX) has commenced phase II clinical trials for a proprietary formulation of a low dose oral interferon-alpha product for the treatment of oral warts caused by human...

Abbott wins sole supplier contract for blood screening tests.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced it has been awarded a multiyear contract as the exclusive supplier of six infectious disease tests used for screening blood donated to the American Red Cross. ...

Kenyan HIV/AIDS patients face periodic shortages of drugs, hampering treatment.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... 2002 MAY 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kenyan HIV patients have faced periodic shortages of critical drugs over the past 6 months, hampering their treatment and threatening to create drug-resistent strains of the virus that causes AIDS, an...

CD40-CD40L interactions may cause pathologic microglia activity.
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - CD40 and its ligand may represent a therapeutic target for a number of disorders stemming from microglia-induced immune activity, including HIV dementia and...

Other pathogens can inhibit HIV infection.
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Endotoxins from pathogens like Escherichia coli and Mycobacteria tuberculosis can prevent HIV from entering and infecting cells, researchers in the Netherlands...

Novel pyridinioalkanoyl thioesters show antiviral activity.
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States say that a novel class of pyridinioalkanoyl thioesters (PATEs) demonstrates potent activity against a key HIV protein. ...

Many rural residents living with HIV continue risky behaviors.
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Findings from a new study of people with HIV who live in rural communities suggest they may be more likely to continue having unprotected sex than people living with HIV in urban areas, a problem study...

Company reports 2001 financial results.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genzyme Corp. reported that total revenues for Genzyme Molecular Oncology (GZMO) for the fourth quarter of 2001 were $2.6 million, an increase from $1.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2000. For the...

Regent Group, Inc. receives HCPCS for Resurgex.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Millennium Biotechnologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Regent Group, Inc. (RGII) has received from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a HCPCS coding for their nutritional...

AIDS 'dissidents' target health officials, other activists.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- They draped a 35-foot condom over Republican Sen. Jesse Helms' house, scattered the ashes of AIDS victims on the White House lawn and tossed a coffin in front of a San Francisco hospital after an AIDS...

Baltimore study supports targeting youth early to prevent bloodborne disease.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... 2002 MAY 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Catching the attention of at-risk youth and young adults before they begin using injection drugs may offer the best hope of preventing their acquiring...

Reduced levels of key adipocyte protein may be trigger.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in France have identified a key protein expressed by adipocytes whose disruption may underlie HIV wasting syndrome. "Lipodystrophy is a major...

New oral medication halts blindness in AIDS patients.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A viral infection that robs AIDS patients of their sight can now be fought with a drug in pill form, allowing patients a better quality of life, say the authors of a recent paper in the New England...

World Health Organization includes antiretrovirals on essential medicines list.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a move to battle the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the World Health Organization has issued treatment guidelines suitable for poor countries, and for the first time put AIDS drugs on an international list of...

Phase I SBIR grant awarded to advance development of AIDS treatment.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Privately held Consensus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced the award of a phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a...

Rituximab potentiates cisplatin effects by Bcl-2 suppression.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have shed new light on the mechanisms by which the monoclonal antibody rituximab potentiates the effects of the anticancer...

South African gold mining giant finds up to 30% of work force is HIV positive.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gold mining giant AngloGold has estimated that 25-30% of its South African work force is HIV positive and called for a coherent national strategy to combat the AIDS epidemic. One of the world's...

U.S. pledges to help Caribbean beat back spread of HIV/AIDS.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The United States will send health experts to help Caribbean governments fight the regional spread of HIV/AIDS, Health Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced. "We are here today to extend to you...

Roche's Pegasys achieves multiple firsts in landmark hepatitis C trial.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche announced results from a landmark trial that for the very first time provide strong clinical evidence that hepatitis C patients should be treated differently based only on virus genotype. ...

U.S. is sending $300 million immediately to newly created Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
May 20, 2002... 2002 MAY 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The United States has earmarked $500 million for a new fund to fight AIDS around the world and is sending $300 million of it immediately to help finance new programs to tackle the killer disease, a...

Antiretroviral treatment may restore thymic function.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Powerful antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection can help restore thymic function in treated patients, researchers in Spain report. "The origin of T...

Novel nucleoside analog active against drug-resistant strains.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States may have found a way to augment antiretroviral therapy's effectiveness against drug-resistant HIV strains. "Highly active...

Simian virus 40 vectors efficient, effective.
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have identified a novel vector for gene therapy to fight HIV infection. Dr. Harris Goldstein and colleagues at the Albert...

Black and Hispanic HIV patients are less likely to get experimental medications.
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A nationwide study sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), shows that black and Hispanic HIV patients are only about half as likely as non-Hispanic whites to participate in...

Drug breaks for HIV-infected individuals may put certain immune cells at risk.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Disruption of antiretroviral therapy by patients infected with HIV may be putting certain T cells in their bloodstream at greater risk for infection with the deadly virus if it is allowed to rebound, a...

ViroLogic announces expanded drug-development agreement with GlaxoSmithKline.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ViroLogic, Inc., (VLGC) announced that the company signed an expanded agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to use ViroLogic's proprietary HIV resistance testing technology in the phase III clinical...

Vaccine candidates clear review; phase III results expected within month.(AIDSVAX B/B from VaxGen Inc.)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The independent committee that oversees the only final-stage clinical trials of AIDS vaccine candidates has once again indicated that the vaccine candidates appear safe and that the trials are being...

CCR5 blocker may be useful with antiretroviral therapy.(SCH-C (SCH 351125) for HIV infection treatment)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have identified a potentially useful adjuvant to antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection. "SCH-C (SCH 351125) is a...

Company reports 2002 1Q pro forma results of 21 cents per share.(Chiron Corp.)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chiron Corporation (CHIR) reported pro-forma net income of $41 million or $0.21 per share for the first quarter of 2002, compared with $38 million, or $0.19 per share in the first quarter of 2001....

Company reports significant progress in first quarter.(Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VRTX) reported consolidated financial results for the 3 months ended March 31, 2002: For the 3 months ending March 31, 2002, the company's loss was $22.1 million, or...

FDA clears Visible Genetics next generation HIV resistance interpretation software.(GuideLines 5.0 Rules for the TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Test)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Visible Genetics, Inc., (VGIN) (VGI) received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the next generation interpretation software for the TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Test. The...

Trichomoniasis risk similar for infected, healthy women.
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Women infected with HIV develop trichomoniasis at rates comparable to those seen in seronegative women, researchers in the United States report. ...

Research in fungal pathogenesis offers new hope of vaccine strategies for immunosupressed patients.
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists at Harbor-UCLA Research and Education Institute (REI) are providing new hope for improved prevention and treatment of life-threatening infections caused by fungal pathogens. Working...

5000 protest South Africa AIDS drug ruling.(South African government appealing a requirement to provide nevirapine to HIV-positive pregnant women)
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nearly 5000 demonstrators marched to the Constitutional Court on May 2, 2002, to protest the South African government's appeal of a ruling forcing it to provide a key AIDS drug to HIV-positive pregnant...

HIV/AIDS education for women in jail could reduce epidemic.
May 27, 2002... 2002 MAY 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Providing HIV and AIDS education to female jail detainees could reduce the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the United States and should become a national public health priority, a Northwestern University...