HIV Treatment: ALERTS! articles from April 1 2005

HIV Treatment: ALERTS! archives from April 1 2005

Welcome.(Center for AIDS: Hope & Remembrance Project has been working in the area of HIV treatment/research information, education, and advocacy for ten years)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Ten years is a long time, and that is how long The Center for AIDS: Hope & Remembrance Project has been working in the area of HIV treatment/research information, education, and advocacy. In 1995, the buzz was all about protease inhibitors and...

Super strain of HIV?(The New York Case and the media coverage)
April 1, 2005... In the area of HIV and AIDS, there are constant challenges in battling misinformation. A few months ago, a report was publicized about a man in New York who acquired a form of HIV that was resistant to all but 2 HIV medications (one being...

HIV and kidney function.(kidney problems with HIV treatments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Both HIV disease and HIV meds called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors ("nukes") can cause kidney problems. One study specifically examined the way one HIV med, Viread, affects the kidneys (abstract 820) by examining measures of...

Hyperglycemia--another Viread + Videx risk.(The combination of the HIV needs Viread and Videx )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The combination of the HIV needs Viread and Videx requires special dosing and can cause serious side effects, including drops in T cell counts, problems with the pancreas, and risk of virologic failure. A recent study (abstract 829) examined...

HPV update.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... HIV+ people are more likely to be infected with human papillomavirus or "HPV," a common sexually transmitted virus. To make matters worse, HIV+ men and women are more frequently infected with the high-risk forms of HPV that are associated with...

Avoiding complications in HIV.(HIV treatment be started earlier )(before people reach high viral loads or low T cell counts)(people weighing less than 150 pounds )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Researchers participating in a large, observational study of many HIV+ people found that side effects from HIV meds and other health problems may be related to when a person first takes HIV meds. Looking at more than 7,000 patients, they found...

Lung cancer and HIV.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... In a study looking at more than 5,000 HIV+ patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, between 1989 and 2003, researchers found that cases of lung cancer are increasing (abstract 908). Older people with HIV (and especially those...

Doubts about hydroxyurea.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)(Hyroxyurea is an inhibitor of DNA synthesis (but not repair) )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Hydroxyurea is a treatment that has sometimes been used with HIV meds (like Videx) for controlling HIV infection. However, it has several potentially serious side effects, and current US treatment guidelines for HIV do not recommend its use....

The price of Fuzeon resistance.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... As several research studies now indicate, having resistance to HIV meds may put the virus at a disadvantage. Two studies at the conference showed that when HIV is resistant to Fuzeon (an entry inhibitor that is taken twice daily by injection...

HIV in the brain.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... Treating HIV in the brain is a challenge because some HIV meds cannot get into the brain as well as others. Some researchers think that HIV in the brain may be different in some ways than in other parts of the body because the brain is so...

Dangers of treatment interruption.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)(HIV treatment)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Researchers studying treatment interruption in highly treatment-experienced patients (with multi-drug-resistant virus) have determined that treatment interruptions are dangerous in that patient population. The study, called "CPCRA 064," showed...

Hypertension risks.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)(relationship between HIV medications and hypertension)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Several studies at the conference looked at the relationship between HIV meds and hypertension (high blood pressure). One study (abstract 872) found that men with more advanced HIV disease had a higher risk of developing hypertension. This was...

Good news: the effects of HAART.(Good news & bad news)(potent combination HIV therapy )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... With potent combination HIV therapy (or HAART) now almost 10 years old, several long-term studies are showing what effects the meds are having on the HIV+ population overall. One group looked at 49 studies from 1994 to 2004 involving more than...

Deaths in the HIV+ population.(12th Retrovirus Conference HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... A very large study, known as D:A:D, is following (since the year 2000) more than 23,000 HIV+ patients in Europe, Australia, and the US. In this analysis, the researchers looked at causes of death in people living with HIV/AIDS. The causes of...

TMC 114.(protease inhibitor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... TMC 114: The clinical trial results from this protease inhibitor (PI) so far are some of the best ever seen in highly treatment-experienced (or "salvage") patients. In people whose virus had resistance to several PIs and who took TMC 114 at the...

PA-457.(maturation inhibitor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... PA-457: A possible new kind of drug called a "maturation inhibitor" interrupts the HIV life cycle at a late step, causing "immature" (non-infectious) viruses to be produced. These harmless HIV particles are then just broken down in the body,...

Tipranavir.(Pipeline HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... Tipranavir: This protease inhibitor is widely believed to be the next HIV med to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Research presented at the conference from the RESIST study has found that at 24 weeks, treatment-experienced...

BMS 488043.(attachment inhibitor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... BMS 488043: Known as an "attachment inhibitor," this drug blocks HIV entry into the T cell. (Abstract 544)

"Compound X.".(Treatment)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... "Compound X:" Possibly a new way to block an old target: reverse transcriptase. (Abstract 156)

RNase H Inhibitor.(Pipeline HIGHLIGHTS)
April 1, 2005... RNase H Inhibitor: ditto. (Abstract 157)

Erythromycin risks.(antibiotic)(risk of sudden cardiac death )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Erythromycin is a popular antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. Another common group of drugs is the CYP3A inhibitors, which includes HIV protease inhibitors, and drugs to treat fungal infections, depression, high blood pressure, heart...

Lipodystrophy problems continue.(Treatments for muscle separation)(Diastasis rectus abdominis)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... In addition to the typical characteristics of lipodystrophy, a new feature has recently been reported in the journal HIV Medicine (6, p. 54, 2005). "Diastasis rectus abdominis" refers to the separation of the abdominal muscles that run along...

HSIL in HIV+ girls.(Treatment News)(high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions )(HIV-positive girls)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases (190, p. 1413, 2004) found that HIV+ teenage girls were more than 4times as likely to have high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (HSIL) in their cervix compared with HIV-negative...

The science behind dementia.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... HIV-associated dementia (HAD)is a progressive brain problem that causes confusion, loss of memory, difficulty with thinking, and trouble with keeping balanced. To learn more about why HAD occurs, researchers performed brain scans...

Toxoplasmosis: still a threat.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... Toxoplasmosis is a potentially serious infection caused by a parasite. People become infected by eating undercooked, infected meat or through exposure to cat feces or contaminated drinking water. In healthy people, infection usually does not...

Pancreas problems.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... The pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped organ that is found behind the stomach and in front of the spine. This organ has 2 main jobs and both are necessary to keep us healthy. First, it produces juices (enzymes) that help digest or break down...

Past drug use may affect T cell count.(injection drug users )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... According to a study published in the journal AIDS (18:16, p. 2210, 2004), HIV+ patients who are former injection drug users (IDUs) do not respond as well to potent combination HIV therapy (also called HAART) as HIV+ patients who were not IDUs....

Stem cell transplants for cancer.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... The risk of developing certain cancers such as Hodgkin disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is greater in HIV+ people. While the cancer may sometimes go into remission after being treated with both chemotherapy and HIV reeds, the cancer...

Early viral load predicts treatment success.(Treatment News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The sooner you know if your HIV treatment is working, the better. Continuing an ineffective HIV treatment regimen could not only allow your HIV to progress, but also allow drug resistance to develop. A study published in the Journal of Acquired...

Liver failure in co-infected patients.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at risk for liver damage, specifically cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver) and liver failure. This risk is even higher in patients also infected with HIV (HIV/HCV co-infected...

Update to HIV treatment guidelines.(Treatment News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The US guidelines for treating HIV were updated on October 29, 2004. Among the changes are the following points: When to start treatment: HIV+ patients who have never taken HIV reeds before, have no symptoms, and whose T cell counts are...

Shingles: still an issue.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... Shingles (also called herpes zoster) is an opportunistic infection caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Once a person has had chicken pox, the virus becomes inactive, but can become active again in a person with a suppressed immune...

One regimen, one pill, once a day.(New treatment combination)(Sustiva)(Truvada)(Emtriva)(Viread)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The simpler the HIV treatment regimen, the easier it is for patients to stick with it. In December, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences announced that they will work together to develop a fixed-dose combination of Sustiva, a non-nucleoside...

New CDC guidelines to prevent HIV.(Treatment News)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... On January 20, 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new guidelines for the use of HIV meds to prevent HIV infection. Previously, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was only recommended for healthcare workers exposed...

Fuzeon update.(Treatment News)
April 1, 2005... Changes have been made to the Fuzeon labeling to emphasize certain side effects of the drug. Some patients taking Fuzeon may experience a hypersensitivity, or allergic reaction, to the drug. Symptoms include rash, fever, nausea and vomiting,...

Methadone adjustment with Viramune.(Drug Interaction UPDATES)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Patients taking methadone as part of a drug detox program who are also taking the HIV reed Viramune may need to adjust their dose of methadone. In a report published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (48:11, p. 4148, 2004),...

Problems with Kaletra and Dilantin combo.(Drug Interaction UPDATES)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... HIV+ patients taking Kaletra to treat HIV who are also taking Dilantin (phenytoin) may need to adjust their doses or even change their reeds. A study in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (36:5, p. 1034, 2004) found that in...

Drugs for GI upset may interact with HIV protease inhibitors.(Drug Interaction UPDATES)(gastrointestinal problems)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... According to a study presented at the 7th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection in Glasgow, Scotland (abstract 206), many HIV+ people suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) problems like heartburn, stomach ulcers, and reflux...

Diarrhea dilemmas.(diarrhea and drug loperamide)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Diarrhea is a common side effect of HIV medications and many patients take the drug loperamide (available over-the-counter as Imodium) to treat it. However, a report in the journal Clinical Pharmacokinetics (43:14, p. 1015, 2004) describes how...

FDA approves generic version of Videx EC delayed release capsules.(Food and Drug Administration of the United States)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... In December 2004, the FDA approved a generic version of Didanosine (ddl) Delayed Release capsules (200 mg, 250 mg, and 400 mg) to use in combination with other HIV needs to treat adults with HIV. The delayed-release version of Videx ("Videx...

Reyataz heart risks.(FDA Bits)(Food and drug administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... New precautions have been added t0the labeling for Reyataz (an HIV protease inhibitor) for patients with existing heart problems. Specifically, some people have a problem in the way electrical signals control their heartbeat (sometimes called...

Caution: combination of Viread, Videx, and either Sustiva or Viramune.(may cause early virologic failure)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... The combination of Viread, Videx, and either Sustiva or Viramune may cause early virologic failure in patients taking HIV needs for the first time. This risk is even higher in patients with high viral loads before starting treatment. The...

Sustiva warnings.(FDA Bits)(Food and drug administration)(drug interaction alert)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... New precautions have been added to the labeling for Sustiva regarding interactions with Vfend (voriconazole), a drug used to treat serious fungal infections. Sustiva reduces blood levels of Vfend, and therefore patients taking Vfend should not...

Hepatitis warnings with Epivir.(be careful about abruptly stopping your needs)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... New precautions have been added to the labeling for Epivir (3TC), Combivir (Epivir + Retrovir), Trizivir (Epivir + Ziagen + Retrovir), and Epzicom (Epivir + Ziagen). Epivir has activity against both hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV. Epivir is known as...

Fewer pills for Invirase.(HIV protease inhibitor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A new 500-mg tablet of the HIV protease inhibitor, Invirase, is now available. Patients taking this new version now only need to take two 500-mg pills twice a day instead of five 200-mg capsules twice a day. Invirase should be boosted by taking...

Kaletra warning.(protease inhibitor)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... Updates have been added to the labeling for the boosted protease inhibitor, Kaletra, that provide more information about the longer-term use of this med in HIV+ people. Some of the important changes include warnings about using Kaletra in...

Antibiotic side effects.(FDA Bits)(Food and drug administration)(Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Floxin (ofloxacin))(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... New precautions have been added to the labeling for the antibiotics Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Floxin (ofloxacin). The FDA has received reports of patients experiencing neuropathy when taking either of these antibiotics. Patients taking these...

Pregnant women should not use Crixivan.(FDA Bits)(Food and drug administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The protease inhibitor Crixivan should not be used in HIV+ pregnant women. New data have shown that blood levels of Crixivan are lower in pregnant women, which could lead to the development of drug resistance. In addition, lower blood levels of...

Liver toxicity warning.(Invirase or Fortavase with rifampin)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... Patients taking either boosted or unboosted Invirase (saquinavir, hard gel capsules) or Fortavase (saquinavir, soft-gel capsules) should not take rifampin (brand names include Rifadin and Rimactane), a med used to treat bacterial infections...

First hepatitis C treatment approved for co-infected patients.(FDA Bits)
April 1, 2005... In February 2005, the FDA approved the combination of Pegasys (peg-Interferon) and Copegus (ribavirin) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in HIV+ patients. This treatment is the first one approved for patients co-infected with HIV and...

STD dangers.(Syphilis)(sexually transmitted disease (STD))
April 1, 2005... Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is caused by a type of bacteria and is spread through direct contact with a syphilis sore (also called a chancre, pronounced KANG-kur) during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. These sores usually appear...

Is an undetectable viral load necessary?(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Achieving an undetectable viral load is not always possible. Instead, some patients stay at a detectable, but moderate, level for years. This is sometimes called a "partial response" to HIV treatment. How does this partial response affect a...

Useful resources.(Bottom Lines)(AIDS information links and AIDS support groups)(Directory)
April 1, 2005... * Want more coverage of the Retrovirus Conference? Find abstracts, posters, and even recorded presentations at www.retroconference.org * Search HIV/AIDS clinical trials by topic, state, and even your own T cell count and viral load....

The immune system (Part 1 of 2): T cells, B cells, and cytokines.
April 1, 2005... The immune system is a complex system whose main job is to protect the body from foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. The immune system works by distinguishing between the body's own materials (including a fetus, in the case of pregnancy)...

Baylor College of Medicine.(CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION)(Call for AIDS participants for medical study of HIV/Cytomegalovirus)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a very common virus that infects many HIV-negative and HIV+ people in the US. CMV can infect many different parts of the body. However, the virus (if not well controlled by the immune system) most often causes...

SMART Study.(Strategies for the Management of Anti-Retroviral Therapy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The SMART Study continues enrollment in Houston and around the world. SMART stands for Strategies for the Management of Anti-Retroviral Therapy. The study will involve 6,000 patients and last for at least 8 years. The goal of the study is to...

Studies in Galveston.(New medications in progress for HIV)(vicraviroc )(therapeutic vaccine)(protease inhibitor)
April 1, 2005... SCH 417690 (vicraviroc) is a new HIV medication that is under investigation and not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is a member of a new class of potential HIV reeds called "CCR5 receptor antagonists" that block one...