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HIV/AIDS News You Can Use

July 23, 2003

• More Highlights From IAS 2003
• How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the HAART
• Older Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Very High-Risk Group
• T-20 Supply Will Be Greater Than First Thought
• You (And Your Meds) Are What You Eat
• Hepatitis C and Smoking, Alcohol Don't Mix
• AIDS Diagnoses Rapidly Increasing in Washington, D.C.
• U.S. Will Help Pay for Generic Drugs Overseas
• The Changes an HIV Diagnosis Brings
• AIDS-Related Cancer Overview
• Web Highlights

More Highlights From IAS 2003

Trizivir-Only Regimens Should Be Avoided as First-Line Therapy
There may remain a small number of people for whom a triple nucleoside (NRTI) regimen like Trizivir (AZT + 3TC + abacavir) is appropriate, Brian Boyle, M.D., reports. But given the regimen's high failure rate when compared to the efavirenz (Sustiva)-containing arms of the major ACTG 5095 study, he says, doctors should think long and hard before using Trizivir or any other triple-NRTI combination alone.

Efavirenz or Nevirapine: Which Is Better?
In a comparison of efavirenz and nevirapine (Viramune)-containing regimens, researchers found that both are effective and well tolerated. Generally speaking, they are equally potent for the first year. After that? There's data showing that efavirenz remains potent; such long-term research hasn't yet been done on nevirapine. Andrew T. Pavia, M.D., reports.

Is There Still Hope for Treatment Interruptions?
Gerald Pierone, Jr., M.D., provides thorough explanations of the pros and cons of structured treatment interruptions in his summary of a debate between experts at the conference.

Tenofovir and d4T Go Head to Head
Cal Cohen, M.D., reports on the most recent results from the pivotal trial of tenofovir (Viread) + 3TC (lamviudine, Epivir) + efavirenz vs. d4T (stavudine, Zerit) + 3TC + efavirenz. He writes: "The tenofovir arm has been influential in establishing an attractive outcome not just for response rates, but for safety as well, since the tenofovir arm had few side effects, and a notably low rate of lipodystrophy, as seen at week 96."

Should Haart Regimens Be Changed Before Heart Problems Develop?
Gerald Pierone, Jr., M.D., reports on a debate between HIV experts over the extent to which treatment regimens should be altered because of the risk of heart problems. "Based on the metabolic changes we are seeing now," he writes, "we justifiably can predict higher rates of vascular complications in the future. This means that prevention efforts, as well as strategies for early diagnosis and treatment, should be put into place now."

Drug-Resistant HIV Spreads Through Europe
Nearly one out of every 10 Europeans newly infected with HIV has a drug-resistant strain of the virus, according to results of a large study.

Avoid Mother-Child HIV Transmission by Treating the Baby, Instead of the Mom?
Giving breastfeeding infants a daily dose of antiretroviral therapy could significantly lower their risk of contracting HIV from their HIV-positive mothers through breast milk.

The Body's IAS 2003 page is the place to be for full highlights of the conference, including links to Webcasts and audio/video straight from Paris!

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the HAART

Older Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Very High-Risk Group

T-20 Supply Will Be Greater Than First Thought

You (And Your Meds) Are What You Eat

Hepatitis C and Smoking, Alcohol Don't Mix

AIDS Diagnoses Rapidly Increasing in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Will Help Pay for Generic Drugs Overseas

The Changes an HIV Diagnosis Brings

AIDS-Related Cancer Overview

Web Highlights

Prevalence of Unsafe Sexual Behavior Among HIV-Infected Individuals: The Swiss HIV Cohort Study
HIV-positive people with undetectable viral loads are no more likely to have unsafe sex than other people with HIV, the study finds
From Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (August 1, 2003)

A Desperate Global Scavenger Hunt to Keep AIDS Patients Alive
Thousands of HIVers in the developing world now get drugs through programs that recycle them, through informal physician networks that donate unused drugs or through the black market
From The New York Times (free registration required) (July 22, 2003)

Women Have Larger Increase in CD4 Cell Count After Six Months of HAART
Women's immune systems appear to react more strongly to HAART than men's, at least at first
From aidsmap.com (July 22, 2003)

So Many Questions with Zackie Achmat
The renowned South African treatment activist talks about the government report his organization recently leaked; the report said that if HIV drugs were offered to all South Africans who needed it, it could save more than 1.7 million lives by 2010
From Sunday Times, Johannesburg (July 20, 2003)

Formula Feed Is "Medicine to Prevent HIV"
Researchers recommend that formula feeding for babies of HIV-positive women in developing counties be treated as though the formula is a medicine -- which means it should be supplied continuously and adequately paid for by the government
From aidsmap.com (July 18, 2003)

Kaletra: Could Upping the Dose Overcome Resistance?
A 67 percent increase in the lopinavir/ritonavir dose was found to be far more effective than increasing only the ritonavir
From aidsmap.com (July 18, 2003)

Advancing HIV Prevention: New CDC Strategies for a Changing Epidemic
An analysis of the new HIV prevention and testing strategy launched by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
From PRN Notebook (June 2003)