CROI 2013: The Latest on HIV Drugs in Development, Antiretroviral Strategy and Treatment as Prevention (Video)

Jeff Berry, editor of Positively Aware magazine, sits down with Joel Gallant, M.D., a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Richard Haubrich, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, to talk about the latest updates on HIV antiretroviral treatment at CROI 2013. In their discussion, they go over study results on:

• MK-1439, an investigational NNRTI (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor) that showed promising results at low dosage levels.
• Cenicriviroc, an investigational CCR5 and CCR2 antagonist that showed strong antiviral activity, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate, a new prodrug of tenofovir that showed better bone and kidney safety than the current formulation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.
• Dolutegravir, an investigational integrase inhibitor that, when taken once a day, performed a bit better than raltegravir (Isentress), with the same safety profile.
• The OPTIONS Study, which found that regimens without NRTIs were non-inferior to regimens with NRTIs for patients with resistance to NNRTIs, NRTIs and protease inhibitors.
• The VOICE Study, which found no efficacy for oral PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or vaginal microbicides for women, but with the caveat that adherence was particularly low and directly related to the results.
• Detectable levels of HIV in the semen of HIV-positive men who were on effective HIV treatment, showing that there's still a risk of HIV transmission through unprotected sex despite undetectable viral load in the blood.

The video above has been cross-posted on TheBodyPRO.com with permission from our partners at the International Foundation for Alternative Research in AIDS (IFARA). Visit IFARA's website to watch more video interviews from the conference, as well as earlier meetings.