Approximately 10,000 people from around the world attended the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. This conference is the most important gathering on AIDS. It occurs once every two years and brings together an immense assortment of people involved in HIV/AIDS care or prevention. About 6,000 abstracts and hundreds of posters were presented at the conference.

Following are selected summaries reported exclusively for The Body by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Research for the University Health Sciences AIDS Center, Ian Frank, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Antiretroviral Clinical Research at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Michael Giordano, M.D., Assistant Attending Physician and Director of Cornell AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.

Funding for this conference coverage at The Body is provided, in part, through an unrestricted educational grant by Bristol-Myers Squibb Immunology.

Conference Summaries:

• Worldwide Issues on HIV/AIDS: Briefing on the Journal of the American Medical Association's HIV/AIDS Issue (June 27, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
  1. Simultaneous vs. Sequential Initiation of Therapy with Indinavir (Crixivan), Zidovudine (AZT) and Lamuvidine (3TC) for HIV Infection: 100 Week Follow-Up
  2. Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission: Interaction between Zidovudine Prevention and Mode of Delivery in the French Perinatal Cohort
• Thoughts on the 12th International Conference on AIDS (June 28, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
• Session 286/12204: Combination Abacavir (1592, ABC)/Amprenavir (141W94) Therapy in HIV-1 Infected Antiretroviral Naïve Subjects with CD4+ Cell Counts >400 cells/mL and Viral Load >5000 copies/mL (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Does Sequential Therapy Offer Any Advantage Over Continuous Therapy? (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12227: ALBI (ANRS 070). A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AZT/3TC vs alternating d4T/ddI and AZT/3TC vs d4T/ddI
• What's the Latest in the Induction/Maintenance Approach to Therapy? (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12229: ADAM study: Induction-maintenance therapy in HIV-1 infection: Early results
• Poster Session 12279: Two-Year Durability of HIV-1 Viral Load Suppression in Patients Treated with Indinavir who Experience Virus Load Declines to <500 VRNA Copies/mL (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 12290: Sixteen-Week Followup of Indinavir Sulfate (Crixivan) Administered Every 8 Hours versus Every 12 Hours in Combination with Efavirenz (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 12311: Indinavir in Combination with Zidovudine (ZDV) and Lamuvidine (3TC) in Treatment-Naïve Patients with >500 CD4 Cells/mm³ (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Summaries from Day 1 (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12224: Longterm comparison of BID and TID dosing VIRACEPT (Nelfinavir) in combination with stavudine (d4T) and Lamivudine (3TC) in HIV patients
  2. Poster Session 12305: Women First: A study of the effects of HIV positive women with combination Nelfinavir (NFV), Saquinavir (SQV), Stavudine (d4T) and Lamivudine (3TC)
  3. Poster Session 12226: Stavudine (d4T), didanosine (ddI), and nelfinavir combination therapy in pretreated HIV-patients: Antiviral effect and safety in an ongoing study
  4. Poster Session 12275: Stavudine (d4T), Nelfinavir (NFV) and Nevirapine (NVP): Suppression of HIV-1 RNA to fewer than 50 copies/ml during 5 months of therapy
• Poster Session 12359: Durable Clinical Anti-HIV-1 Activity (72 Weeks) and Tolerability for Efavirenz (DMP 266) in Combination with Indinavir (IDV) (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Pharmacokinetics of MKC-422, One of the Next Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, Together with ZDV, 3TC, d4T, and ddI (June 29, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12374: Evaluation of potential interactions between MKC-442 and zidovudine (ZDV) - lamivudine (3TC), and stavudine (d4T) - didanosine (ddI) in healthy volunteers
• How to Start Antiretroviral Therapy (June 29 and June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12223: An open-label, randomized, comparative study of d4T + 3TC + IDV versus ZDV + 3TC + IDV in treatment naïve HIV-infected patients (START I)
  2. Poster Session 12225: An open-label, randomized, comparative study of d4T + ddI + IDV versus ZDV + 3TC + IDV in treatment naïve HIV-infected patients (START II)
  3. Poster Session 22336: A phase II, multicenter, randomized, open-label study to compare the antiretroviral activity and tolerability of efavirenz (EFV) + indinavir (IDV), versus EFV + zidovudine (ZDV) + lamivudine (3TC), verus IDV + ZDV + 3TC at 24 weeks [DMP 266-06]
  4. Session 127/12230: Safety and Activity of Abacavir (ABC, 1592) with 3TC/ZDV in Antiretroviral Naïve Subjects
• Hydroxyurea -- More Information on the Antiretroviral Drug Without Antiviral Activity (June 29 and June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Session 287/12235: Hydroxyurea in combination regimens for the treatment of antiretroviral naive, HIV-infected adults
  2. Session 288/12205: Salvage of multi-drug resistant HIV infection with d4T/3TC/Hydroxyurea
  3. Poster Session 12371: Suppression of HIV replication and cell proliferation leads to minimal levels of proviral DNA and to immune recovery
  4. Late Breaker: Hydroxyurea containing combinations exhibit long-term efficacy, a novel resistance/rebound profile, and lead to anti-HIV specific immune response reconstitution
• What Have We Learned about Lipodystrophy, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, and Long Term Complications of Protease Inhibitors? (June 29, June 30, and July 1, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12462: Prevalence and severity of protease inhibitor (PI) induced lipodystrophy and insulin resistance
  2. Session 177/12373: Changes in body habitus in HIV(+) women after initiation of protease inhibitor therapy
  3. Poster Session 12319: Lipid abnormalities associated with use of protease inhibitors: Prevalence, clinical sequalae and treatment
  4. Session 336/32173: Alterations in body fat distribution in HIV-infected men and women
  5. Poster Session 32164: Treatment of dorsocervical fat pads and truncal adiposity with serostim [recombinant human growth hormone] in patients with aids maintained on HAART
  6. Poster Session 12287: Reversal of hyperlipidaemia and lipodystrophy in patients switching therapy to nelfinavir
• Hydroxyurea Studies (June 29 and July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12371: Suppression of HIV replication and cell proliferation leads to minimal levels of proviral DNA and to immune recovery
  2. Poster Session 42262: Enhanced activation of nucleoside analogues in the presence of hydroxyurea in vitro
• Stavudine for the Treatment of HIV Neurocognitive Impairment (June 29 and July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Session 564/32207: Stavudine stops neuro-AIDS in AZT-non-responders
  2. Poster Session 12355: Stavudine entry into cerebrospinal fluid of HIV-infected subjects after single and multiple doses
• Other New Drugs (June 29, June 30, and July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia. M.D.
  1. Poster Session 12460: Safety and efficacy of ABT-378 ritonavir in antiretroviral naïve patients: preliminary results of a phase II trial
  2. Session 293/41176: The safety, tolerance, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of PNU-140690, a new non-peptidic HIV protease inhibitor, in a phase I/II study
  3. Poster Session 60706: Genotypic characterization of HIV-1 isolated from AIDS patients after prolonged therapy with Preveon* (Adefovir Dipivoxil) added to existing regimens
  4. Poster Session 41214: HIV-1 expressing the 3TC-associated M184V mutation in Reverse Transcriptase (RT) shows increased sensitivity to Adefovir and PMPA as well as decreased replication capacity in vitro
  5. Poster Session 41218: Genotypic changes in HIV RT which develop during Preveon™ (Adefovir Dipivoxil) therapy do not decrease susceptibility to PMPA
  6. Poster Session 12211: Oral PMPA Prodrug: Relationship between clinical pharmacokinetics, safety and anti-HIV activity
  7. Session 557/41174: Anti-HIV activity, biochemistry, and pharmacokinetics of b-D-2O,3O-didehydro-2O,3O-dideoxy-5-fluorocytidine (D-D4FC)
• More on Efavirenz (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 22334: A phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose ranging study to assess the antiretroviral activity and safety of efavirenz (EFV, SUSTIVA™, DMP 266) in combination with open-label zidovudine (ZDV) with lamivudine (3TC) at 36 weeks [DMP 266-005]
• Poster Session 22339: A Comparison Between Seminal Plasma RNA and Blood Plasma RNA in HIV+ Men Who Receive Either Zidovudine (ZDV) Plus Lamuvidine (3TC) or ZDV Plus 3TC Plus Indinavir (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Still More on Efavirenz (July 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 22386: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety, tolerability, and antiviral activity of efavirenz (EFV, Sustiva™, DMP-266) in combination with open-label zidovudine (ZDV) and lamivudine (3TC) in HIV-1 infected patients [DMP 266-004]
  2. Poster Session 22340: Initial effectiveness and tolerability of nelfinavir (NFV) in combination with efavirenz (EFV, Sustiva™, DMP-266) in antiretroviral therapy naive or nucleoside analogue experienced HIV-1 infected patients: characterization in a phase II, open-label, multicenter study at 24 weeks [DMP 266-024]
• Poster Session 22343: A Phase III, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Determine the Effectiveness and Tolerability of the Combination of Efavirenz and Indinavir (IDV) versus Indinavir in HIV-1 Infected Patients Receiving Nucleoside Analogue (NRTI) Therapy at 24 Weeks (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 22352: Co-Administration of Indinavir 1000mg and Escalating Nelfinavir Dose in a Twice-Daily Regimen: Preliminary Safety, Pharmacokinetic and Antiviral Activity (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Another Protease-Sparing Treatment Option (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 22357: Efficacy of the combination of stavudine (d4T), didanosine (ddI), and nevirapine (NVP) as initial antiretroviral therapy and following treatment with HIV-1 protease inhibitors
• Combining Indinavir with Ritonavir (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 22361: Indinavir Can Be Taken with Regular Meals When Administered with Ritonavir
  2. Poster Session 22372: Novel Double Protease Combinations: Combining Indinavir with Ritonavir
• Poster Session 22404: Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Nevirapine and Indinavir and Correlation with Antiviral Activity (June 30, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 32172: Protease Inhibitor-Associated Hyperglycemia: Results of Switching from Indinavir to Nelfinavir (July 1, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Session 389/32406: Protease Inhibitors (PI) in the HIV+ Homeless and Marginally Housed (H/M): Good Adherence but Rarely Prescribed (July 1, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Highly Active Therapy in Pregnancy May Lower Transmission Rates More Than AZT Alone (July 1, 1998)
  Coverage by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D.
  1. Session 459/12151: Control of maternal HIV-1 disease during pregnancy
     
  2. Poster Session 32453: Safety of combined therapies in pregnancy
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis -- How Well Do Health Care Providers Take Antiretroviral Therapy? (July 1, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 33175: Combination post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP): a prospective study of HIV-exposed health care workers (HCW)
• The Body Fights Back -- Immune Responses and Reconstitution in HIV Infection (July 1, July 2, and July 3, 1998)
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Session 425: Immune events in early HIV infection
  2. Session 598/31130: Control of HIV replication requires virus-specific helper and CTL function and levels of CTL activity are in equilibrium with virall burden
  3. Poster Session 60414: Inhibition of HIV-1 by CD8+ cells from seropositive individuals is antigen processing-dependent
  4. Poster Session 31135: Recognition of two overlapping CTL epitopes by CTL from a long-term non-progessing HIV-1 infected individual
  5. Session 426: Immune responses and reconstitution
• Poster Session 42169: Antiviral Effect of AZT versus D4T in Combination with 3TC and Indinavir in the Context of a Population-Based Study (July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Can Antiretroviral Therapy Be Delivered in a Methadone Maintenance Setting?
  Coverage by Ian Frank, M.D.
  1. Poster Session 42281: Nelfinavir, didanosine & stavudine in HIV-infected drug users enrolled in opiate substitution programs at four outpatient clinics -- The Zurich Prometheus study
• Poster Session 42351: The Effects of Oxandralone on Body Weight and Composition in Patients with HIV-Associated Weight Loss (July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 42405: The Effectiveness of Hepatitis B Vaccination in HIV-Infected Patients (July 2, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.
• Poster Session 60484: Indinavir 12 Hour Dosing an Alternative to 8 Hourly Dosing Regimen: A Pilot Study (July 3, 1998)
  Coverage by Michael Giordano, M.D.

Conference News and Events:

• Complete 12th World AIDS Conference Program
  Including titles and authors of oral and poster presentations
  From the Official 12th World AIDS Conference Web Site
  Mirror sites: http://www.unige.ch/imsp/aids98, http://expasy2.hcuge.ch/dmi/aids98
• Announcements for Satellite Conferences and Events for Community-Based Workers
  From the Official 12th World AIDS Conference Web Site
• Daily News from the 12th World AIDS Conference Web Site
• Search the 12th World AIDS Conference Web Site
• Join Discussion Forums by Email
  The 12th World AIDS Conference has set up six email discussion forums, giving those who cannot go to the conference a chance to participate and be heard

  
  Post-Conference Events:

• The Geneva Report: Treatment Highlights from the XII World AIDS Conference
  A post-Geneva Symposium, Monday July 22, 2-5pm on the UCSF Campus, presented by the UCSF AIDS Research Institute and Project Inform
  Visit HIV InSite after July 23rd for coverage of this event in Real Audio

Conference Reports and Related Articles:

• Antiviral Therapy: How Simple Can You Get? (November, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Geneva: Up Close and Personal (October, 1998)
  From Body Positive
• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and HIV Coinfection (September, 1998)
  A review of data presented at the 12th World AIDS Conference
  From the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC)
• Set Back for Nerve Growth Factor (September, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• What Price Efavirenz? (September, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• NNRTIs: A Neglected Class (September, 19980
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Overseas and Overwhelmed (Fall, 1998)
  From Women Alive
• Highlights of the 12th World AIDS Conference (Fall, 1998)
  From Women Alive
• STEP's 12th World AIDS Conference Report (Fall, 1998)
  From the Seattle Treatment Education Project (STEP)
• Geneva "New Agents" Sessions Betray Dearth of Interest in Imaginative (or Costly) Drug Development (August/September, 1998)
  From the Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• Geneva "New Agents" Sessions Betray Dearth of Interest in Imaginative (or Costly) Drug Development (August/September, 1998)
  From the Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• One Part Aged Innovation, Two Parts Hubris: Is Remune Merely Reheated '93 Berlin Fare? (August/September, 1998)
  From the Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• Highlights from the Resistance Workshop (August/September, 1998)
  From the Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• Geneva Medical Report Now on Web (August 7, 1998)
  From AIDS Treatment News
• Bridging the Gaps (August, 1998)
  From HIV Newsline
• Medical Highlights of the 12th World AIDS Conference (August, 1998)
  From Body Positive
• 12th World AIDS Conference Highlights Issues Faced by Women With HIV (August, 1998)
  By Mark Katz, M.D., in Positive Living newsletter
  From AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA)
• 12th World AIDS Conference: Life Beyond the 'Westerns' (August, 1998)
  By Mark Katz, M.D. & Glenn Gaylord, in Positive Living newsletter
  From AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA)
• The Search for More Intelligent Therapy (July/August, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Hydroxyurea Becomes the Talk of Geneva (July/August, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Debate Widens Over Protease Inhibitor Side Effects (July/August, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Working to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes (July/August, 1998)
  From Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Geneva Conference: Finding Information on the Web and Elsewhere (July 17, 1998)
  From AIDS Treatment News
• Geneva Conference Treatment Highlights (July 10, 1998)
  From AIDS Treatment News
• The Virus Fights Back (July 7, 1998)
  At the World AIDS conference, hope mingles with troubling news about drug-resistant HIV
  By Mark Schoofs, from The Village Voice
• Geneva (July, 1998)
  News from the 12th World AIDS Conference and its implications for prevention among gay men
  From Mark King
• Preventing HIV in New Generations: Expanding the Success; Understanding the Failures (June 29, 1998)
  Plenary Speech by Dr. Werasit Sittitrai
  From the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at the 1998 World AIDS Conference
• Official 12th World AIDS Conference "Webcast" Site
  Up to 50 lectures each day will be videotaped and placed on the Internet through this site -- allowing people around the world to see the slides presented as well as hear the talks
• Summaries of Each Day of the Conference
  From the Organising Committee of the 12th World AIDS Conference
• CDC Geneva '98 Web Site
• International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care Conference Reports
  One of the only places on the internet where you can view poster sessions from the conference
• Clinical Care Options for HIV Conference Summaries
• Project Inform: Report Back from the XII World Conference on AIDS
• 12th World AIDS Conference, Geneva, June 28 - July 3: How to Participate from Home (June 22, 1998)
  From AIDS Treatment News
• Geneva Arrangements (If You Are Going) (June 22, 1998)
  From AIDS Treatment News