AIDS Treatment News
Table of Contents, March 14, 2003

• Retroviruses Conference Clinical News: Interview With Cal Cohen, M.D.
  We asked a leading AIDS physician to summarize some of the important treatment messages for physicians and patients, from the 10th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, a major scientific meeting. Part 1 of the 2-part interview looks at starting antiretroviral therapy (including tenofovir vs. d4T, and efavirenz vs. nevirapine), new protease-inhibitor information, and antiretroviral drug toxicity.

• First AIDS Vaccine Tested Did Not Protect, But Gives Scientific Leads
  AIDSVAX, the first HIV preventive vaccine to finish a human efficacy trial, did not protect against infection, but is likely to provide much information on designing better vaccines.

• T-20: Most Expensive AIDS Drug Ever at $25,000 Per Year?
  A new kind of HIV treatment will probably cost several times as much as other AIDS drugs and be unavailable to many who need it.

• Clinton Team Lowers Drug Price Seven-Fold in Caribbean
  At the recent Retroviruses conference, President Clinton told how his organization lowered the price the government of the Bahamas paid for HIV treatment, from $3600 to $500 per year.
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• Help Wanted: Treatment Information and Advocacy at Project Inform, Spanish Bilingual Preferred
  Resume requested by March 21, 2003.

• Warning, Counterfeit Procrit (Epoetin Alfa)
  The FDA and Ortho Biotech have warned health professionals and patients to check for counterfeit Procrit, which may contain dangerous bacteria and have no active ingredient.

ISSN # 1052-4207

Copyright 2003 by John S. James. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used.