HIV Treatment Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents Updated

HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services feature a new section on managing older HIV-infected patients, who often have comorbid conditions that complicate care. The DHHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents' update also includes a table showing monthly average wholesale prices for brand and generic HIV drugs, including combination therapies.

"New drugs have been approved that offer new mechanisms of action, improvements in potency and activity even against multidrug-resistant viruses, dosing convenience, and tolerability," the panel wrote.

Existing sections of the guidelines have been updated to address:

• initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in treatment-naive patients;
• use of hormonal contraception in HIV-infected women;
• new treatments for hepatitis C virus, ongoing research in HIV/HCV co-infection and use of ART with HCV drugs;
• treatment for HIV/TB co-infection;
• drug interaction updates, grouped by tables; and
• prevention of secondary HIV transmission.

To access the guidelines, visit: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines/html/1/adult-and-adolescent-treatment-guidelines/0/.

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