Source: Vancouver Sun
Federal health minister will be urged to shut down initiatives
Steven Edwards, with files from Darah Hansen, CanWest News Service; with files from Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, March 02, 2007
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations drug control agency is expected to warn Health Minister Tony Clement at a conference later this month that Canada is flouting international drug control treaties by enabling illicit drug use at a supervised injection site in Vancouver.
Clement will be urged to shut down the initiative, which the agency says effectively condones the use of drugs that Canada has agreed in an international forum are banned substances outside prescription.
"In a way, [Canada] is encouraging illicit trafficking," Zhu Li-Qin, chief of the Convention Evaluation Section of the UN's International Narcotics Control Board, said in an interview from the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
"Traffickers are searching for markets, and a [supervised site] serves as a small market where people go and legally inject drugs."
Officials will notify Clement of the board's findings through established contacts at Health Canada and directly to a Canadian delegation at the annual meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna March 12-16.
Article Four of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs says countries will pass laws to make sure drugs are used only for medical and scientific purposes.
"Generally, in international law, when you sign a treaty, you are supposed to conform both your domestic legislation and your domestic behaviour to the obligations you have under the treaty," said Melvyn Levitsky, a retired U.S. ambassador on the board.
"Although we understand the compulsion behind these sites, the convention says drugs are supposed to be used for medical or scientific purposes -- not for getting public nuisances off the streets."
Other countries facing board criticism for operating supervised injection sites are Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland.
"The board regrets that no measures have been taken to terminate the operation of such facilities in the countries concerned," says the report.
The board noted in its 2003 report that the Canadian government, then under the Liberals, had approved the establishment of the Vancouver facility, called Insite, and billed as a "safe, health-focused place where people can go to inject drugs."
Click here to read the article.
See also : UN report unwittingly makes the case for prescribing drugs to addicts, Vancouver Sun, published March 3
and Safe injection site illegal, says UN, Today's family news, March 7
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
AIDS: New trial shows needs for caution in adopting circumcision strategy
Source: Yahoo news
Early data from a trial in Uganda shows that policymakers must be prudent when including circumcision among their tactics for fighting AIDS, researchers said on Tuesday.
Last year, three groundbreaking studies conducted in Africa found that male circumcision halved a man's risk of being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
That discovery ignited hopes that the flagging quarter-century-old war against AIDS in Africa could be transformed by a simple, low-cost operation.
The new trial, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, explores a different angle of the circumcision story -- to see whether men who are infected with HIV and are circumcised are any less likely to infect their female partner.
US and Ugandan researchers are following 997 HIV-infected men in Rakai, Uganda. Some of them have been given circumcision, while the others have remained uncircumcised to act as a comparison.
A proportion of volunteers in both groups had uninfected long-term female partners at the start of the study. These women were also enrolled and monitored.
A review at the study's six-month mark looked at 70 couples in the "circumcised" group and found that 11 of the women had become infected. Among 54 couples in the "uncircumcised" group, four women had become infected.
The study is still underway and the data is not considered conclusive.
But the researchers said they were concerned, as several of the infections had been transmitted by men who had had sex before their wounds had fully healed from the circumcision surgery.
The AIDS virus can be carried in the blood, as well as in semen.
This means that, before circumcision can be universally endorsed as a prevention strategy, men and women have to be fully aware about the need to refrain from intercourse for a month or so while the penile wound has healed, the researchers said.
Both partners must be fully versed in safe-sex awareness, especially in condom use.
(...)
Click here to read the article.
Early data from a trial in Uganda shows that policymakers must be prudent when including circumcision among their tactics for fighting AIDS, researchers said on Tuesday.
Last year, three groundbreaking studies conducted in Africa found that male circumcision halved a man's risk of being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
That discovery ignited hopes that the flagging quarter-century-old war against AIDS in Africa could be transformed by a simple, low-cost operation.
The new trial, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, explores a different angle of the circumcision story -- to see whether men who are infected with HIV and are circumcised are any less likely to infect their female partner.
US and Ugandan researchers are following 997 HIV-infected men in Rakai, Uganda. Some of them have been given circumcision, while the others have remained uncircumcised to act as a comparison.
A proportion of volunteers in both groups had uninfected long-term female partners at the start of the study. These women were also enrolled and monitored.
A review at the study's six-month mark looked at 70 couples in the "circumcised" group and found that 11 of the women had become infected. Among 54 couples in the "uncircumcised" group, four women had become infected.
The study is still underway and the data is not considered conclusive.
But the researchers said they were concerned, as several of the infections had been transmitted by men who had had sex before their wounds had fully healed from the circumcision surgery.
The AIDS virus can be carried in the blood, as well as in semen.
This means that, before circumcision can be universally endorsed as a prevention strategy, men and women have to be fully aware about the need to refrain from intercourse for a month or so while the penile wound has healed, the researchers said.
Both partners must be fully versed in safe-sex awareness, especially in condom use.
(...)
Click here to read the article.
New books in the library!
The February list of new acquisitions is now available! New books and reports, journal articles and educational videos are listed by subject. Links to online publications are also provided.
Print copies are available in the library. If you want to receive the list by email, it's easy! Just call us at 604-893-2248 or send us an email. You can also subscribe and receive the list every month.
UBC researcher finds new way to treat devastating fungal infections
Source UBC
VANCOUVER, CANADA -- Devastating blood-borne fungal infections that can be lethal for HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplant patients may be treated more successfully, thanks to a new drug delivery method developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof. Kishor M. Wasan has created a liquid preparation that incorporates drug molecules in fat (lipid-based formulation) so that Amphotericin B, a potent anti-fungal agent, can be taken by mouth with minimal side effects. The agent, used for about 50 years, is currently administered intravenously and has significant toxic side effects, notably severe kidney toxicity as well as serious tissue damage at the intravenous injection site.
Wasan and his research team have discovered that the oral preparation triggers a different molecular interaction than intravenous delivery. The lipid-based system attacks fungal cells only while inhibiting the drug’s interaction with kidney cells – boosting effectiveness and dramatically reducing toxicity.
(...)
Click here to read the media release.
VANCOUVER, CANADA -- Devastating blood-borne fungal infections that can be lethal for HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplant patients may be treated more successfully, thanks to a new drug delivery method developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof. Kishor M. Wasan has created a liquid preparation that incorporates drug molecules in fat (lipid-based formulation) so that Amphotericin B, a potent anti-fungal agent, can be taken by mouth with minimal side effects. The agent, used for about 50 years, is currently administered intravenously and has significant toxic side effects, notably severe kidney toxicity as well as serious tissue damage at the intravenous injection site.
Wasan and his research team have discovered that the oral preparation triggers a different molecular interaction than intravenous delivery. The lipid-based system attacks fungal cells only while inhibiting the drug’s interaction with kidney cells – boosting effectiveness and dramatically reducing toxicity.
(...)
Click here to read the media release.
Natural HIV barrier snares AIDS virus
Source: WebMD
Protein in Specialized Skin Cells Traps and Destroys HIV
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDMarch 5, 2007 -- A natural barrier to HIV snares and destroys the AIDS virus, Dutch researchers report.
The newly discovered barrier is a powerful first line of defense against HIV infection. But at least one new strategy for preventing HIV transmission may breach this barrier, inadvertently opening the door to infection.
HIV targets T cells, a type of immune cell. It gets to T cells via a type of skin cell called a dendritic cell. Dendritic cells are supposed to warn T cells about foreign invaders. But HIV subverts this line of communication and uses dendritic cells to carry an infectious virus to the T cells.
That doesn't happen if HIV first encounters a specialized kind of dendritic cell called a Langerhans cell. It's hard for HIV to infect Langerhans cells -- and now scientists know why. It's because the cells carry a special molecule, dubbed Langerin.
Langerin grabs HIV and throws it in a kind of garbage disposal within the Langerhans cell, find Lot de Witte of Vrije University, Amsterdam, and colleagues. When the researchers disabled the Langerin molecule, HIV easily infected Langerhans cells.
"Thus Langerin is a natural barrier to HIV infection," de Witte and colleagues conclude.
HIV Prevention Method Has Flaw
As the AIDS epidemic rages on, researchers are looking for ways to prevent HIV infection. One powerful method would be a vaginal microbicide -- an easy-to-apply gel that would block HIV and protect women from being infected by their sex partners.
Because dendritic cells carry HIV to T cells, one promising vaginal-gel ingredient is a molecule called mannan. Mannan breaks the tether that dendritic cells use to haul HIV across mucous membranes.
But de Witte and colleagues find that mannan also disables Langerin, breaching this natural barrier to HIV.
"Inhibitors such as mannan have an unwanted and completely counteractive effect on Langerhans cells -- namely, they negate the protective function of Langerhans cells and enable [HIV] transmission by dendritic cells," they warn.
Instead, the researchers suggest using another molecule that keeps dendritic cells from latching on to HIV without affecting Langerhans cells.
De Witte and colleagues report their findings in the advance online issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
Protein in Specialized Skin Cells Traps and Destroys HIV
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDMarch 5, 2007 -- A natural barrier to HIV snares and destroys the AIDS virus, Dutch researchers report.
The newly discovered barrier is a powerful first line of defense against HIV infection. But at least one new strategy for preventing HIV transmission may breach this barrier, inadvertently opening the door to infection.
HIV targets T cells, a type of immune cell. It gets to T cells via a type of skin cell called a dendritic cell. Dendritic cells are supposed to warn T cells about foreign invaders. But HIV subverts this line of communication and uses dendritic cells to carry an infectious virus to the T cells.
That doesn't happen if HIV first encounters a specialized kind of dendritic cell called a Langerhans cell. It's hard for HIV to infect Langerhans cells -- and now scientists know why. It's because the cells carry a special molecule, dubbed Langerin.
Langerin grabs HIV and throws it in a kind of garbage disposal within the Langerhans cell, find Lot de Witte of Vrije University, Amsterdam, and colleagues. When the researchers disabled the Langerin molecule, HIV easily infected Langerhans cells.
"Thus Langerin is a natural barrier to HIV infection," de Witte and colleagues conclude.
HIV Prevention Method Has Flaw
As the AIDS epidemic rages on, researchers are looking for ways to prevent HIV infection. One powerful method would be a vaginal microbicide -- an easy-to-apply gel that would block HIV and protect women from being infected by their sex partners.
Because dendritic cells carry HIV to T cells, one promising vaginal-gel ingredient is a molecule called mannan. Mannan breaks the tether that dendritic cells use to haul HIV across mucous membranes.
But de Witte and colleagues find that mannan also disables Langerin, breaching this natural barrier to HIV.
"Inhibitors such as mannan have an unwanted and completely counteractive effect on Langerhans cells -- namely, they negate the protective function of Langerhans cells and enable [HIV] transmission by dendritic cells," they warn.
Instead, the researchers suggest using another molecule that keeps dendritic cells from latching on to HIV without affecting Langerhans cells.
De Witte and colleagues report their findings in the advance online issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
HIV transmission risk highest early in infection-study
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters)
People may be most likely to transmit the AIDS virus when they are first infected -- before they start showing symptoms and even before many screening tests detect the virus, Canadian researchers reported on Monday.
This may help explain why the HIV epidemic moves so quickly, they report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases*.
Their genetic analysis of HIV-infected patients in Quebec showed that nearly half of all transmissions occurred when patients were in the early stages of the disease.
"The early infection stage can be entirely asymptomatic," said Dr. Mark Wainberg, of the McGill AIDS Center in Montreal, who led the study.
"This is why people who are recently infected may not know it, and will probably often test negative by conventional antibody screening," Wainberg said in a statement.
Early on, the body has not yet mounted an immune defense against the virus. It does not produce many antibodies -- which is what most quick screening tests look for.
"Hence, we must do a much better job of identifying recently infected people if we are to be able to counsel them to modify high-risk sexual behavior and desist from transmitting the virus," Wainberg added.
Wainberg and colleagues from several hospitals and health clinics in Canada studied HIV transmission through phylogenetic analysis, which is a way to draw the family tree of the virus.
Viruses mutate when they live inside a person's body, and the mutations can be steadily clocked to estimate the first date of infection.
The study found that 49 percent of early infections appeared to cluster in a way that would suggest that most new infections were transmitted by people who themselves were in the early stages of infection, before the virus had time to mutate much.
This is in part because people have many copies of the virus in their blood when they first become infected. The more virus there is -- a measure called viral load -- the more people are likely to infect someone else.
The AIDS virus infects 39 million people globally and has killed more than 25 million since it was first identified in the early 1980s. There is no cure, although drug treatment can keep symptoms at a minimum and extend life.
* High Rates of Forward Transmission Events after Acute/Early HIV-1 Infection, The Journal of Infectious diseases, 1 April 2007, Volume 195, Number 7. Free access!
WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters)
People may be most likely to transmit the AIDS virus when they are first infected -- before they start showing symptoms and even before many screening tests detect the virus, Canadian researchers reported on Monday.
This may help explain why the HIV epidemic moves so quickly, they report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases*.
Their genetic analysis of HIV-infected patients in Quebec showed that nearly half of all transmissions occurred when patients were in the early stages of the disease.
"The early infection stage can be entirely asymptomatic," said Dr. Mark Wainberg, of the McGill AIDS Center in Montreal, who led the study.
"This is why people who are recently infected may not know it, and will probably often test negative by conventional antibody screening," Wainberg said in a statement.
Early on, the body has not yet mounted an immune defense against the virus. It does not produce many antibodies -- which is what most quick screening tests look for.
"Hence, we must do a much better job of identifying recently infected people if we are to be able to counsel them to modify high-risk sexual behavior and desist from transmitting the virus," Wainberg added.
Wainberg and colleagues from several hospitals and health clinics in Canada studied HIV transmission through phylogenetic analysis, which is a way to draw the family tree of the virus.
Viruses mutate when they live inside a person's body, and the mutations can be steadily clocked to estimate the first date of infection.
The study found that 49 percent of early infections appeared to cluster in a way that would suggest that most new infections were transmitted by people who themselves were in the early stages of infection, before the virus had time to mutate much.
This is in part because people have many copies of the virus in their blood when they first become infected. The more virus there is -- a measure called viral load -- the more people are likely to infect someone else.
The AIDS virus infects 39 million people globally and has killed more than 25 million since it was first identified in the early 1980s. There is no cure, although drug treatment can keep symptoms at a minimum and extend life.
* High Rates of Forward Transmission Events after Acute/Early HIV-1 Infection, The Journal of Infectious diseases, 1 April 2007, Volume 195, Number 7. Free access!
Monday, March 05, 2007
New HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Women at The Body
The Body, one of the most comprehensive online sources of information on HIV/AIDs recently launched a new website: the HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Women.As stated in the overview, "After more than 25 years and 25 million deaths, the world has yet to realize that HIV isn’t just a man’s problem. Although it has escaped the notice of most media -- and even many in the health care and health policy fields -- HIV has quietly become the third most-deadly disease for women in the United States, behind only cancer and heart disease. It’s also the leading cause of death for African-American women between the ages of 25 and 34."
In Canada, "Women account for a growing proportion of positive HIV tests reports with known age and gender among adults in Canada. The proportion of females each year has risen, from 12.0% in the years between 1985 and 1997 to 24.9% of adult positive HIV test reports between 1999 and 2002. In 2005, this proportion again increased, though only slightly to 25.4%." (Public Health Agency of Canada, EPI update 2006).
The HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Women offers basic information on HIV/AIDS for women, personal stories of women, interviews with experts, news and links to other resources.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Life support on HBO
Inspired by a true story, this HBO Films presentation uses a mix of actors and real people from the HIV/AIDS community to tell the story of an HIV-positive Brooklyn woman named Ana (Queen Latifah), who channels her energy and regret over past drug addiction into working for Life Support, an AIDS outreach group. When Kelly's HIV-infected gay friend Amare (Evan Ross) disappears, Ana, looking to connect with her daughter while helping a lost soul, throws herself into searching for him. She embarks on a dangerous but necessary journey, and as she seeks to save one life and heal another, Ana learns a poignant lesson about loving and letting go.
Premiere Saturday March 10 at 8PM. Click here to watch preview.
About Life support in the Washington Times
"Black women are the No. 1 people getting [the disease], and I wanted to create a film that would give black women a voice," said Nelson George, producer and writer of "Life Support." The multigenerational story is based on Mr. George's real-life experiences with his sister, Andrea Williams. She is a recovering drug addict who has been living with the virus for a decade, and who became an activist in a community service organization in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Life Support.
This project began as a way to deal with "the fears my family had," Mr. George said. However, "She evolved and gained knowledge ... and what we thought was a negative thing that would destroy her and be tragic for us turned to a positive, and she became focused and centered, and this was good and inspirational."
Mr. George, along with actress Gloria Reuben, will attend at the D.C. screening of "Life Support" tonight sponsored by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. It was released at the Sundance Film Festival in January and debuts March 10 on HBO.
"The purpose of this [film] is to reignite the dialogue about this virus," he said.
Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, which publishes a report card on the D.C. government's ability to deal with HIV/AIDS, spoke on the film. Though he has seen only trailers for "Life Support," Mr. Smith said that "the more that's out there [about HIV/AIDS] the more people will know. ... Leaders across the board have to speak out." In our past conversations, Mr. Smith often suggested that the biggest problem in eradicating HIV/AIDS is the community's unwillingness to talk about the disease.
"There has to be more frank, public talk about this issue at the highest levels," Mr. Smith said. "It's a sad situation. Some of it is so closeted that some people would rather die than get tested."
Read the article A breath of fresh dialogue in HIV/AIDS fight, by Adrienne Washington.
Premiere Saturday March 10 at 8PM. Click here to watch preview.
*********************************
About Life support in the Washington Times
"Black women are the No. 1 people getting [the disease], and I wanted to create a film that would give black women a voice," said Nelson George, producer and writer of "Life Support." The multigenerational story is based on Mr. George's real-life experiences with his sister, Andrea Williams. She is a recovering drug addict who has been living with the virus for a decade, and who became an activist in a community service organization in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Life Support.
This project began as a way to deal with "the fears my family had," Mr. George said. However, "She evolved and gained knowledge ... and what we thought was a negative thing that would destroy her and be tragic for us turned to a positive, and she became focused and centered, and this was good and inspirational."
Mr. George, along with actress Gloria Reuben, will attend at the D.C. screening of "Life Support" tonight sponsored by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. It was released at the Sundance Film Festival in January and debuts March 10 on HBO.
"The purpose of this [film] is to reignite the dialogue about this virus," he said.
Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, which publishes a report card on the D.C. government's ability to deal with HIV/AIDS, spoke on the film. Though he has seen only trailers for "Life Support," Mr. Smith said that "the more that's out there [about HIV/AIDS] the more people will know. ... Leaders across the board have to speak out." In our past conversations, Mr. Smith often suggested that the biggest problem in eradicating HIV/AIDS is the community's unwillingness to talk about the disease.
"There has to be more frank, public talk about this issue at the highest levels," Mr. Smith said. "It's a sad situation. Some of it is so closeted that some people would rather die than get tested."
Read the article A breath of fresh dialogue in HIV/AIDS fight, by Adrienne Washington.
14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections
From 26th February to 5th March 2007, aidsmap produces a daily email with the latest updates from the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), which is being held in Los Angeles, USA.To sign up and receive this daily email, click here and enter your details in the online form provided.
To find more information about the Conference, visit CROI 2007. Don't miss the webcast sessions!
New medications aid drug-resistant HIV patients
Source: Los Angeles Times
The findings bring "the opportunity for a new life," one doctor says.
By Jia-Rui Chong, Times Staff Writer
In what some are hailing as the most important development in HIV therapy in a decade, two new classes of drugs have been found to block virus replication in patients resistant to existing drugs, researchers said Tuesday.
The two new classes, called integrase inhibitors and CCR5 inhibitors, doubled the number of patients in a group of studies whose infections could be brought under control, researchers said at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This is "a pivotal moment" for patients who have become resistant to most AIDS drugs, said Dr. Eric Daar, chief of HIV medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. Daar, who was not involved in the research, estimated that about 20% of his patients are resistant to the existing classes of drugs.
Given the serious problems in treating drug-resistant patients, Daar said, the findings bring "the opportunity for a new life."
Dr. John Mellors, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, said the new findings hearken back to the introduction in the 1990s of the powerful drugs that converted HIV infection from a mostly fatal disease to one that could be managed for long periods of time.
"This is really a remarkable development in the field," said Mellors, who was not involved in the studies.
Closest to federal approval is maraviroc, developed by Pfizer Inc. The drug binds to a receptor on the surface of human cells known as CCR5, preventing HIV from locking on and entering the cells.
Maraviroc represents the first class of HIV drugs to target the human immune system rather than the virus itself.
Other companies have attempted to bring out CCR5 inhibitors, but with little success. Trials with GlaxoSmithKline's candidate, aplaviroc, were halted in 2005 because the drug caused liver toxicity.
Dr. Howard Mayer of Pfizer reported on studies of maraviroc in 1,049 patients in 13 countries: 840 received the experimental drug in combination with their regular drug regimen, while the rest received a placebo and their regular drugs.
About 44% of the patients receiving maraviroc saw their blood HIV concentrations fall to undetectable levels after 24 weeks of therapy, Meyer said, compared with 23% of those receiving the placebo.
Experts think the drug could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year.
The second new drug is Merck & Co.'s raltegravir, formerly known as MK-0158. It blocks an HIV enzyme called integrase, one of three enzymes used by the virus to copy itself in immune cells.
Dr. David Cooper from the University of New South Wales in Australia and Dr. Roy Steigbigel from State University of New York at Stony Brook reported on two studies involving 699 patients, two-thirds of whom received raltegravir in addition to their regular HIV drugs. Both studies were funded by Merck.
About 62% of the patients receiving raltegravir saw the HIV in their blood fall to undetectable levels after 16 weeks, compared with 35% of those receiving the standard drugs alone, the researchers said.
The drug, which has been fast-tracked by the FDA, was well tolerated by patients.
Gilead Sciences Inc. also has an integrase inhibitor in earlier stages of testing and will present results today.
"The big question now is how will these drugs be used in practice," said Dr. John Bartlett, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, who was not connected to the studies. "If they become first-line drugs, that could mean a paradigm shift."
The findings bring "the opportunity for a new life," one doctor says.
By Jia-Rui Chong, Times Staff Writer
In what some are hailing as the most important development in HIV therapy in a decade, two new classes of drugs have been found to block virus replication in patients resistant to existing drugs, researchers said Tuesday.
The two new classes, called integrase inhibitors and CCR5 inhibitors, doubled the number of patients in a group of studies whose infections could be brought under control, researchers said at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This is "a pivotal moment" for patients who have become resistant to most AIDS drugs, said Dr. Eric Daar, chief of HIV medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. Daar, who was not involved in the research, estimated that about 20% of his patients are resistant to the existing classes of drugs.
Given the serious problems in treating drug-resistant patients, Daar said, the findings bring "the opportunity for a new life."
Dr. John Mellors, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, said the new findings hearken back to the introduction in the 1990s of the powerful drugs that converted HIV infection from a mostly fatal disease to one that could be managed for long periods of time.
"This is really a remarkable development in the field," said Mellors, who was not involved in the studies.
Closest to federal approval is maraviroc, developed by Pfizer Inc. The drug binds to a receptor on the surface of human cells known as CCR5, preventing HIV from locking on and entering the cells.
Maraviroc represents the first class of HIV drugs to target the human immune system rather than the virus itself.
Other companies have attempted to bring out CCR5 inhibitors, but with little success. Trials with GlaxoSmithKline's candidate, aplaviroc, were halted in 2005 because the drug caused liver toxicity.
Dr. Howard Mayer of Pfizer reported on studies of maraviroc in 1,049 patients in 13 countries: 840 received the experimental drug in combination with their regular drug regimen, while the rest received a placebo and their regular drugs.
About 44% of the patients receiving maraviroc saw their blood HIV concentrations fall to undetectable levels after 24 weeks of therapy, Meyer said, compared with 23% of those receiving the placebo.
Experts think the drug could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year.
The second new drug is Merck & Co.'s raltegravir, formerly known as MK-0158. It blocks an HIV enzyme called integrase, one of three enzymes used by the virus to copy itself in immune cells.
Dr. David Cooper from the University of New South Wales in Australia and Dr. Roy Steigbigel from State University of New York at Stony Brook reported on two studies involving 699 patients, two-thirds of whom received raltegravir in addition to their regular HIV drugs. Both studies were funded by Merck.
About 62% of the patients receiving raltegravir saw the HIV in their blood fall to undetectable levels after 16 weeks, compared with 35% of those receiving the standard drugs alone, the researchers said.
The drug, which has been fast-tracked by the FDA, was well tolerated by patients.
Gilead Sciences Inc. also has an integrase inhibitor in earlier stages of testing and will present results today.
"The big question now is how will these drugs be used in practice," said Dr. John Bartlett, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, who was not connected to the studies. "If they become first-line drugs, that could mean a paradigm shift."
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Two studies of adult male circumcision to prevent HIV
Source: Medical News Today
WHAT: In December 2006, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced an early end to two clinical trials of adult male circumcision in Kenya and Uganda because an interim review of trial data showed that medically performed male circumcision significantly lowered a man's risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse.
Two papers in The Lancet provide detailed analyses of these NIAID-funded trials. In the trial of 2,784 HIV-negative men in Kisumu, Kenya, the investigators found the rate of HIV acquisition in circumcised men to be 53 percent lower than in uncircumcised men. Investigators in the trial of 4,996 HIV-negative men in Rakai, Uganda, report that HIV acquisition was reduced by 51 percent in circumcised men.
ARTICLES:
"Male circumcision for HIV prevention in young men in Kisumu, Kenya: a randomised controlled trial," by R Bailey et al. The Lancet 369: 643-56 (2007). This trial was conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Manitoba and the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
"Male circumcision for HIV prevention in men in Rakai, Uganda: a randomised trial," by R Gray et al. The Lancet 369: 657-66 (2007). This trial was conducted by scientists from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Copies of these articles are available in the library.
Online access is also possible on the Lancet's Website (free registration required)
WHAT: In December 2006, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced an early end to two clinical trials of adult male circumcision in Kenya and Uganda because an interim review of trial data showed that medically performed male circumcision significantly lowered a man's risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse.
Two papers in The Lancet provide detailed analyses of these NIAID-funded trials. In the trial of 2,784 HIV-negative men in Kisumu, Kenya, the investigators found the rate of HIV acquisition in circumcised men to be 53 percent lower than in uncircumcised men. Investigators in the trial of 4,996 HIV-negative men in Rakai, Uganda, report that HIV acquisition was reduced by 51 percent in circumcised men.
ARTICLES:
"Male circumcision for HIV prevention in young men in Kisumu, Kenya: a randomised controlled trial," by R Bailey et al. The Lancet 369: 643-56 (2007). This trial was conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Manitoba and the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
"Male circumcision for HIV prevention in men in Rakai, Uganda: a randomised trial," by R Gray et al. The Lancet 369: 657-66 (2007). This trial was conducted by scientists from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Copies of these articles are available in the library.
Online access is also possible on the Lancet's Website (free registration required)
Smith gets jail in HIV sex case
Ex-Roughrider sentenced to six years: `I just want to say sorry for everything'
Source: Toronto Star
Feb 27, 2007 04:30 AM
REGINA–An apology to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, his children, his wife and his lovers wasn't enough to spare an HIV-positive former Canadian Football League linebacker a prison term for aggravated sexual assault.
Trevis Smith was sentenced yesterday to 5 1/2 years behind bars for knowingly exposing two women to the virus that causes AIDS by having unprotected sex with them and not revealing his condition.
Provincial court Judge Kenn Bellerose added another six months to the sentence for two bail violations Smith pleaded guilty to earlier in the day, making the sentence an even six years.
"For this, I apologize to this province and to the team that I represented the last seven years," Smith said from the prisoner's box in a barely audible voice before Bellerose made his ruling.
"I also want to apologize to the women that I've been involved with during this time and my wife for my actions and I ask that she'd forgive me for me committing adultery.
"I just want to say sorry for everything."
But Bellerose didn't waver.
"As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Smith was very deceitful and very dishonest," he said.
"I'm satisfied he displayed, throughout this whole time – from when he learned he had HIV in November of 2003 until the time of his arrest in October 2005 – a very indifferent attitude with respect to the expectations that the law required on his part to basically come clean with respect to his sexual partners."
Smith showed no reaction as the judge ruled. His wife, who had stood behind her husband throughout the entire trial and could be heard crying as he apologized, left court without talking to reporters.
His lawyer, Clemente Monterosso, also refused comment. An appeal of the conviction has already been filed.
[...]
To read the entire article, click here
Source: Toronto Star
Feb 27, 2007 04:30 AM
REGINA–An apology to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, his children, his wife and his lovers wasn't enough to spare an HIV-positive former Canadian Football League linebacker a prison term for aggravated sexual assault.
Trevis Smith was sentenced yesterday to 5 1/2 years behind bars for knowingly exposing two women to the virus that causes AIDS by having unprotected sex with them and not revealing his condition.
Provincial court Judge Kenn Bellerose added another six months to the sentence for two bail violations Smith pleaded guilty to earlier in the day, making the sentence an even six years.
"For this, I apologize to this province and to the team that I represented the last seven years," Smith said from the prisoner's box in a barely audible voice before Bellerose made his ruling.
"I also want to apologize to the women that I've been involved with during this time and my wife for my actions and I ask that she'd forgive me for me committing adultery.
"I just want to say sorry for everything."
But Bellerose didn't waver.
"As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Smith was very deceitful and very dishonest," he said.
"I'm satisfied he displayed, throughout this whole time – from when he learned he had HIV in November of 2003 until the time of his arrest in October 2005 – a very indifferent attitude with respect to the expectations that the law required on his part to basically come clean with respect to his sexual partners."
Smith showed no reaction as the judge ruled. His wife, who had stood behind her husband throughout the entire trial and could be heard crying as he apologized, left court without talking to reporters.
His lawyer, Clemente Monterosso, also refused comment. An appeal of the conviction has already been filed.
[...]
To read the entire article, click here
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Herpes treatment helps infected women also fight HIV
Source: Medical News Today
Levels of HIV come down in HIV-positive women who are also infected with herpes simplex and are being treated for it with the antiviral drug valacyclovir.
These are the findings of a study published in today's New England Journal of Medicine.
The research was conducted in Burkina-Faso in Africa and took the form of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Valocyclovir is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Valtrex.
Dr Nicolas Nagot of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues found that treating herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) infections with valocyclovir reduced levels of HIV-1 RNA in both the blood plasma and the genital mucosa, with the latter being more significant.
And this effect seemed to get stronger over the three months of the study.
Once a woman has herpes, the risk of getting HIV is increased and other research studies have shown that when HSV-2 is present it increases the amount of HIV-1 in plasma and genital mucosa.
(...)
Levels of HIV come down in HIV-positive women who are also infected with herpes simplex and are being treated for it with the antiviral drug valacyclovir.
These are the findings of a study published in today's New England Journal of Medicine.
The research was conducted in Burkina-Faso in Africa and took the form of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Valocyclovir is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Valtrex.
Dr Nicolas Nagot of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues found that treating herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) infections with valocyclovir reduced levels of HIV-1 RNA in both the blood plasma and the genital mucosa, with the latter being more significant.
And this effect seemed to get stronger over the three months of the study.
Once a woman has herpes, the risk of getting HIV is increased and other research studies have shown that when HSV-2 is present it increases the amount of HIV-1 in plasma and genital mucosa.
(...)
Health Canada examining information linking antiviral drug to development of treatment-resistant HIV
Source: Health Canada
February 21, 2007
For immediate release
OTTAWA - Health Canada is informing Canadians of new information submitted by the manufacturer of the antiviral drug Baraclude that suggests the drug may be linked to the development of a treatment-resistant strain of HIV in one patient with HIV.
Baraclude (the brand name for the drug entecavir) has been authorized in Canada since June 2006 for the treatment of active chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus in adults. This new information consists of a U.S. report of a patient, infected with both HIV and Hepatitis B virus, whose HIV infection became resistant to one of the more commonly used HIV treatment drugs while the individual was taking only Baraclude. In addition, this is one of three U.S. reports submitted by the manufacturer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, concerning HIV patients who experienced a decrease in their HIV virus levels while using Baraclude, despite not being treated with HIV drugs. To date, studies of Baraclude do not suggest that the drug has any activity against HIV. Drugs which have activity against HIV may be associated with increased risk of developing treatment-resistant forms of HIV.
Health Canada is following up on this information and will provide Canadians with any new safety recommendations which may be warranted for the use of Baraclude when the review is completed.
Canadians taking Baraclude should consult with their physician if they have any questions or concerns.
Consumers requiring more information about this Information Update can contact Health Canada’s public enquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.
Any serious or unexpected adverse reactions in patients receiving Baraclude or any other drug should be reported to the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) of Health Canada by one of the following methods:
Telephone: 1-866-234-2345
Facsimile: 1-866-678-6789
CADRMP
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Tunney's Pasture, AL 0701C
email: cadrmp@hc-sc.gc.ca
The CADRMP adverse reaction reporting form, including a version that can be completed and submitted online, is located on the MedEffect portal of the Health Canada Web site.
February 21, 2007
For immediate release
OTTAWA - Health Canada is informing Canadians of new information submitted by the manufacturer of the antiviral drug Baraclude that suggests the drug may be linked to the development of a treatment-resistant strain of HIV in one patient with HIV.
Baraclude (the brand name for the drug entecavir) has been authorized in Canada since June 2006 for the treatment of active chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus in adults. This new information consists of a U.S. report of a patient, infected with both HIV and Hepatitis B virus, whose HIV infection became resistant to one of the more commonly used HIV treatment drugs while the individual was taking only Baraclude. In addition, this is one of three U.S. reports submitted by the manufacturer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, concerning HIV patients who experienced a decrease in their HIV virus levels while using Baraclude, despite not being treated with HIV drugs. To date, studies of Baraclude do not suggest that the drug has any activity against HIV. Drugs which have activity against HIV may be associated with increased risk of developing treatment-resistant forms of HIV.
Health Canada is following up on this information and will provide Canadians with any new safety recommendations which may be warranted for the use of Baraclude when the review is completed.
Canadians taking Baraclude should consult with their physician if they have any questions or concerns.
Consumers requiring more information about this Information Update can contact Health Canada’s public enquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.
Any serious or unexpected adverse reactions in patients receiving Baraclude or any other drug should be reported to the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) of Health Canada by one of the following methods:
Telephone: 1-866-234-2345
Facsimile: 1-866-678-6789
CADRMP
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Tunney's Pasture, AL 0701C
email: cadrmp@hc-sc.gc.ca
The CADRMP adverse reaction reporting form, including a version that can be completed and submitted online, is located on the MedEffect portal of the Health Canada Web site.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Failure of HIV microbicide raises concerns
Source: The scientist
By Andrea Gawrylewski
A microbicide designed to ward off HIV is unexpectedly linked to an increased risk of infection, prompting speculation about the future of microbicides against HIV.
Researchers shut down an HIV microbicide clinical trial last month in Africa and India after early data indicated microbicide users had a higher rate of infection than women using a placebo. The discouraging results have surprised and disappointed researchers, and may ultimately have a negative impact on the future role of microbicides in preventing the spread of the virus.
Several other microbicides are in the pipeline for testing and development, but this trial failure may push some researchers in the direction of other HIV prevention options, predicted Daniel Kuritzkes, director of AIDS research at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The field is moving towards more specific approaches -- use of topical applications of antiviral drugs, as opposed to true microbicides," he told The Scientist. "The [closed trial's] results would make me less enthusiastic about pursuing other [microbicides]. I would be a bit leery about getting into microbicide studies."
Enrollment for the phase III trial for the cellulose-sulfate compound, called Ushercell, began in 2005. When it was stopped, the trial's preliminary analysis included 1,333 women in India, Uganda, Benin, and South Africa. Initial results showed that 35 women had contracted HIV while using the compound, a higher rate of infection than that seen in women using a placebo. CONRAD, the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit reproductive health organization that funded the development and testing of Ushercell, halted the trial immediately.
(...)
By Andrea Gawrylewski
A microbicide designed to ward off HIV is unexpectedly linked to an increased risk of infection, prompting speculation about the future of microbicides against HIV.
Researchers shut down an HIV microbicide clinical trial last month in Africa and India after early data indicated microbicide users had a higher rate of infection than women using a placebo. The discouraging results have surprised and disappointed researchers, and may ultimately have a negative impact on the future role of microbicides in preventing the spread of the virus.
Several other microbicides are in the pipeline for testing and development, but this trial failure may push some researchers in the direction of other HIV prevention options, predicted Daniel Kuritzkes, director of AIDS research at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The field is moving towards more specific approaches -- use of topical applications of antiviral drugs, as opposed to true microbicides," he told The Scientist. "The [closed trial's] results would make me less enthusiastic about pursuing other [microbicides]. I would be a bit leery about getting into microbicide studies."
Enrollment for the phase III trial for the cellulose-sulfate compound, called Ushercell, began in 2005. When it was stopped, the trial's preliminary analysis included 1,333 women in India, Uganda, Benin, and South Africa. Initial results showed that 35 women had contracted HIV while using the compound, a higher rate of infection than that seen in women using a placebo. CONRAD, the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit reproductive health organization that funded the development and testing of Ushercell, halted the trial immediately.
(...)
New UNAIDS Report
Just released!UNAIDS at country level. Supporting countries as they move towards universal access
C 500 UNA 2007
Geneva, UNAIDS, 2007.
This report is available online. Click here to download it. There's also a copy in the library.
Excerpts from the introduction:
"In 2005 and early 2006, the landscape of the AIDS response shifted dramatically. Global pessimism over the unchecked spread of the disease in the developing world receded in the face of impressive efforts to expand access to treatment. Signs that prevention efforts were bearing fruit were seen in a growing number of countries from the hardest-hit regions, which started to report drops in HIV rates, particularly among the young. (...)
During this period, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) focused its country support work on two main areas. The first was improving the architecture of the AIDS response in the face of increasing complexity, growing resources and the involvement of new actors.(...) The second priority of country work was securing political commitment to a dramatic expansion of services for prevention, treatment, care and support. Through the universal access process, countries and regions assessed the current state of the epidemic, identified barriers preventing the expansion of services and began to develop roadmaps to considerably expand key services."
How much do you know about HIV?
Test your knowledge about HIV by taking a quiz!
- amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research: Test your AIDS I.Q.
- AVERT: Quizzes page. Several quizzes on HIV, HIV statistics, HIV and women, World AIDS Day, Sex, Pregnancy, Condoms.
- The Body: HIV/AIDS Quiz
- The World Bank: What do you know about World AIDS Day?
- CDC - Business responds to AIDS / Labor responds to AIDS: HIV/AIDS Workplace tools - AIDS 101 Quiz
- PBS, The age of AIDS: Quiz
- amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research: Test your AIDS I.Q.
- AVERT: Quizzes page. Several quizzes on HIV, HIV statistics, HIV and women, World AIDS Day, Sex, Pregnancy, Condoms.
- The Body: HIV/AIDS Quiz
- The World Bank: What do you know about World AIDS Day?
- CDC - Business responds to AIDS / Labor responds to AIDS: HIV/AIDS Workplace tools - AIDS 101 Quiz
- PBS, The age of AIDS: Quiz
Indonesia faces growing AIDS woes, Papua big worry: WHO
Source: Reuters
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia faces a growing AIDS problem -- particularly among drug users and prostitutes -- while a recent survey shows two percent of the Papua population infected with HIV, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.
The sprawling, developing nation of 220 million people also faces constraints and lack of resources to cope with the problem, Bjorn Melgaard of the WHO said at the release of the report.
"Indonesia has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in Asia. Although the HIV prevalence among adults is still generally low, it has reached high levels among specific populations like injecting drug users and sex workers," the report said.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation but many of its citizens have a liberal attitude toward sex and prostitution is a thriving part of the economy in many areas.
(...)
See also WHO 2006 update - Indonesia
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia faces a growing AIDS problem -- particularly among drug users and prostitutes -- while a recent survey shows two percent of the Papua population infected with HIV, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.
The sprawling, developing nation of 220 million people also faces constraints and lack of resources to cope with the problem, Bjorn Melgaard of the WHO said at the release of the report.
"Indonesia has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in Asia. Although the HIV prevalence among adults is still generally low, it has reached high levels among specific populations like injecting drug users and sex workers," the report said.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation but many of its citizens have a liberal attitude toward sex and prostitution is a thriving part of the economy in many areas.
(...)
See also WHO 2006 update - Indonesia
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Resources on HIV/AIDS and gender
Working with men, responding to AIDS : gender, sexuality and HIV - a case study collectionBrighton, UK, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2003
C 500 WOR 2003
Available online! Click here to download the document.
"Across the world, people working on HIV/AIDS now recognise the importance of developing their work with men in order to have a real impact on the epidemic. There is a growing interest in identifying strategies that will be effective in reaching out to different groups of men and enabling them to change their attitudes and behaviour. The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) shares this interest. (...)
The Alliance has produced this case study collection in order to help projects to conduct this work with men on HIV/AIDS. It presents experiences and lessons from a range of different projects (some supported by the Alliance and some not) that are working with men. By showcasing experiences and lessons from the field in the form of case studies, this collection offers inspiration, ideas and models for working with different kinds of men in a range of contexts."
The Gender and HIV/AIDS electronic library: A collection of resources including research, publications, training tools, and multi-media advocacy materials from the UNIFEM/UNAIDS Gender and HIV/AIDS Portal. United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), 2005.
J 200 GEN 2005 (Click on call number to borrow this CD-ROM!)
"UNIFEM, with support from UNAIDS, has released a Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library on CD-ROM that compiles resources from the UNIFEM Web Portal. It includes research and studies, training resources and tools, and multimedia advocacy materials on the gender dimensions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic produced by a variety of organizations. The Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library is fully searchable by keyword and includes an easy-to-use tool called "e-Course Builder," which supports the creation of a tailored training course using the resources on the CD-ROM. The Library will be a useful resource for academics, policymakers, practitioners, journalists, students and others interested in the gender dimensions of the epidemic."
Gender, HIV/AIDS and rights : Training manual for the mediaRome, Inter Press Service, [2002]
H 230 MAD 2002
Available online! Click here to download the document.
Ottawa, Gates join in Canadian HIV vaccine search
Source: Reuters
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced C$139 million ($118 million) in funding on Tuesday for a Canadian initiative in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates told a news conference that the money would go to an initiative that would try to accelerate development of a vaccine and address critical research gaps. Under the plan, a facility will be set up in Canada to manufacture and test HIV vaccine candidates.
Canada will provide up to C$111 million and the Gates Foundation up to C$28 million.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced C$139 million ($118 million) in funding on Tuesday for a Canadian initiative in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates told a news conference that the money would go to an initiative that would try to accelerate development of a vaccine and address critical research gaps. Under the plan, a facility will be set up in Canada to manufacture and test HIV vaccine candidates.
Canada will provide up to C$111 million and the Gates Foundation up to C$28 million.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
New book in the library: AIDS in Africa: Three scenarios to 2025
AIDS in Africa: Three scenarios to 2025Geneva, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 2005
Call number: C 510 AID 2005 (Click on call number to borrow this book!)
AIDS in Africa: Three scenarios to 2025 presents three possible case studies for how the AIDS epidemic in Africa could evolve over the next 20 years based on policy decisions taken today by African leaders and the rest of the world. The scenarios set out to answer one central question: 'Over the next 20 years, what factors will drive Africa's and the world's responses to the AIDS epidemic, and what kind of future will there be for the next generation?'...
This report is also available online
AIDS virus weakness detected, could help vaccine
Source: Reuters
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Scientists have captured an image of the AIDS virus in a biological handshake with the immune cells it attacks, and said on Wednesday they hope this can help lead to a better vaccine against the incurable disease.
They pinpointed a place on the outside of the human immunodeficiency virus that could be vulnerable to antibodies that could block it from infecting human cells.
U.S. National Institutes of Health researcher Peter Kwong said the study, published in the journal Nature, may reveal HIV's long-sought "site of vulnerability" that can be targeted with a vaccine aimed at preventing initial infection.
"Having that site and knowing that you can make antibodies against it means that a vaccine is possible," Kwong said in a telephone interview.
"It doesn't say we've gotten there. But it's taken it off the list from an impossible dream and converted it to something that is a (mere) technical barrier."
Experts agree that a vaccine is the only hope of stopping the pandemic of AIDS, which has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. About 40 million people now live with HIV, with sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit.
But while dozens of potential vaccines are in development, only two AIDS vaccine candidates are in advanced human trials -- one made by Merck and Co. and another by Sanofi-Aventis SA .
Because the virus attacks immune system cells, it has been especially difficult to design a vaccine to fight it.
The team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, made atomic-level images of the virus.
They revealed the structure of a protein on the surface of HIV as it looks while the protein is bound to an infection-fighting antibody. They said this protein, called gp120, seems susceptible to attack by this antibody, which is called b12 and is capable of broadly neutralizing the virus.
An antibody is an immune system protein that helps seek and destroy invaders like viruses and bacteria.
(...)
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Scientists have captured an image of the AIDS virus in a biological handshake with the immune cells it attacks, and said on Wednesday they hope this can help lead to a better vaccine against the incurable disease.
They pinpointed a place on the outside of the human immunodeficiency virus that could be vulnerable to antibodies that could block it from infecting human cells.
U.S. National Institutes of Health researcher Peter Kwong said the study, published in the journal Nature, may reveal HIV's long-sought "site of vulnerability" that can be targeted with a vaccine aimed at preventing initial infection.
"Having that site and knowing that you can make antibodies against it means that a vaccine is possible," Kwong said in a telephone interview.
"It doesn't say we've gotten there. But it's taken it off the list from an impossible dream and converted it to something that is a (mere) technical barrier."
Experts agree that a vaccine is the only hope of stopping the pandemic of AIDS, which has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. About 40 million people now live with HIV, with sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit.
But while dozens of potential vaccines are in development, only two AIDS vaccine candidates are in advanced human trials -- one made by Merck and Co.
Because the virus attacks immune system cells, it has been especially difficult to design a vaccine to fight it.
The team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, made atomic-level images of the virus.
They revealed the structure of a protein on the surface of HIV as it looks while the protein is bound to an infection-fighting antibody. They said this protein, called gp120, seems susceptible to attack by this antibody, which is called b12 and is capable of broadly neutralizing the virus.
An antibody is an immune system protein that helps seek and destroy invaders like viruses and bacteria.
(...)
Merck cuts price on AIDS drug Efavirenz
Source: Reuters
By Nopporn Wong-Anan
BANGKOK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Merck & Co. announced on Thursday price cuts for its HIV-AIDS drug, Efavirenz, in poor countries and those hard hit by the disease, including Thailand which plans to make copycat versions of the medicine.
Thailand, which shocked Merck in November when it announced plans to break the company's patent for Efavirenz, would see its price drop to 700 baht ($19.59) per patient per month.
Merck had previously sold Efavirenz at a non-profit price of 1,300 baht per treatment per month in Thailand, which plans to import Indian-made versions of the drug for 800 baht per month until it is available from Thailand's state-owned drug maker.
"Merck is lowering the price of the 600 mg formulation of Efavirenz due to efficiencies resulting from improved manufacturing processes," the company said.
A spokesman for Merck's Thai subsidiary also attributed the lower Thai price to a more favourable exchange rate.
Last month, the Health Ministry issued compulsory licences for the heart disease drug Plavix, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis and Abbott Laboratories' Kaletra to treat HIV/AIDS after a similar move on another AIDS drug last year.
The licences, which Thai health officials said would save the country up to 800 million baht ($24 million) a year, drew praise from AIDS activists but flak from Washington and the drug industry, which are urging the ministry to rescind them.
(...)
By Nopporn Wong-Anan
BANGKOK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Merck & Co. announced on Thursday price cuts for its HIV-AIDS drug, Efavirenz, in poor countries and those hard hit by the disease, including Thailand which plans to make copycat versions of the medicine.
Thailand, which shocked Merck in November when it announced plans to break the company's patent for Efavirenz, would see its price drop to 700 baht ($19.59) per patient per month.
Merck had previously sold Efavirenz at a non-profit price of 1,300 baht per treatment per month in Thailand, which plans to import Indian-made versions of the drug for 800 baht per month until it is available from Thailand's state-owned drug maker.
"Merck is lowering the price of the 600 mg formulation of Efavirenz due to efficiencies resulting from improved manufacturing processes," the company said.
A spokesman for Merck's Thai subsidiary also attributed the lower Thai price to a more favourable exchange rate.
Last month, the Health Ministry issued compulsory licences for the heart disease drug Plavix, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis and Abbott Laboratories' Kaletra to treat HIV/AIDS after a similar move on another AIDS drug last year.
The licences, which Thai health officials said would save the country up to 800 million baht ($24 million) a year, drew praise from AIDS activists but flak from Washington and the drug industry, which are urging the ministry to rescind them.
(...)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Pfizer's AIDS drug to get faster review
Source: Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. said on Tuesday its HIV treatment maraviroc will receive an accelerated review from regulators in the United States and Europe.
If approved by the regulatory agencies, maraviroc would be the first in a new class of HIV/AIDS treatments called CCR5 antagonists that work by blocking viral entry, the drug maker said.
Most existing HIV drugs work inside the body's immune cells, after the virus has infected a patient.
Rather than fighting HIV inside white blood cells, CCR5 antagonists prevent the virus produced by infected cells from entering uninfected cells by blocking its predominant entry route, the CCR5 co-receptor.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants accelerated reviews to potential medicines that could represent a major improvement over current treatments. The expedited process means the agency will decide whether to approve the drug within six months, rather than the more typical period of up to one year.
More information:
Trading Markets.com
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. said on Tuesday its HIV treatment maraviroc will receive an accelerated review from regulators in the United States and Europe.
If approved by the regulatory agencies, maraviroc would be the first in a new class of HIV/AIDS treatments called CCR5 antagonists that work by blocking viral entry, the drug maker said.
Most existing HIV drugs work inside the body's immune cells, after the virus has infected a patient.
Rather than fighting HIV inside white blood cells, CCR5 antagonists prevent the virus produced by infected cells from entering uninfected cells by blocking its predominant entry route, the CCR5 co-receptor.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants accelerated reviews to potential medicines that could represent a major improvement over current treatments. The expedited process means the agency will decide whether to approve the drug within six months, rather than the more typical period of up to one year.
More information:
Trading Markets.com
Monday, February 12, 2007
HIV sceptics beyond stupid, says top scientist
Source: The Australian
Jeremy Roberts
February 13, 2007
THE man jointly credited with discovering HIV has blasted the Supreme Court of South Australia for wasting time hearing a case that questions the existence of the killer virus.
Robert Gallo, the American scientist who established the link between HIV and AIDS in 1984, appeared for the prosecution yesterday in the application for an appeal by an HIV-positive man convicted of exposing three women to the virus.
"I can't believe that it occupies the time of the court - it is that absurd," Professor Gallo said.
Defence witnesses - medical physicist Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos and emergency doctor Val Turner - have testified that the science behind HIV is flawed, that the virus has not been purified, that tests for it are indirect and unreliable, and that it is not sexually transmitted or the cause of AIDS.
They appeared for Andre Chad Parenzee, 36, who was convicted in February last year on three counts of endangering life.
Professor Gallo said he had reviewed much of the defence testimony and rejected it as "misunderstanding" at best, and "misrepresentation" of HIV and AIDS research, at worst.
He called on numerous medical fields and his vast research experience to describe HIV, its first laboratory isolation in the 1980s, its attack on the immune system, and the success of treatments and blood screening.
Professor Gallo's testimony was a coup for prosecutors, who have fought Parenzee's application in more than three weeks of hearings since March last year. (...)
Read also:
25 million dead people can't be wrong. Or can they?
HIV discoverer blasts doubters in SA court
Jeremy Roberts
February 13, 2007
THE man jointly credited with discovering HIV has blasted the Supreme Court of South Australia for wasting time hearing a case that questions the existence of the killer virus.
Robert Gallo, the American scientist who established the link between HIV and AIDS in 1984, appeared for the prosecution yesterday in the application for an appeal by an HIV-positive man convicted of exposing three women to the virus.
"I can't believe that it occupies the time of the court - it is that absurd," Professor Gallo said.
Defence witnesses - medical physicist Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos and emergency doctor Val Turner - have testified that the science behind HIV is flawed, that the virus has not been purified, that tests for it are indirect and unreliable, and that it is not sexually transmitted or the cause of AIDS.
They appeared for Andre Chad Parenzee, 36, who was convicted in February last year on three counts of endangering life.
Professor Gallo said he had reviewed much of the defence testimony and rejected it as "misunderstanding" at best, and "misrepresentation" of HIV and AIDS research, at worst.
He called on numerous medical fields and his vast research experience to describe HIV, its first laboratory isolation in the 1980s, its attack on the immune system, and the success of treatments and blood screening.
Professor Gallo's testimony was a coup for prosecutors, who have fought Parenzee's application in more than three weeks of hearings since March last year. (...)
Read also:
25 million dead people can't be wrong. Or can they?
HIV discoverer blasts doubters in SA court
Malaysia's HIV/AIDS epidemic rising and spreading fast
Source: All Headlines
February 12, 2007 10:59 a.m. EST
Patricia Shehan - All Headline News Staff Writer
Malaysia (AHN) - Malaysia's HIV/AIDS epidemic is rising and spreading fast. The number of HIV infections could rise to more than 300,000 by the year 2015 if something isn't done. That would be more than fourfold the current status, according to a top health official's warning to the public as reported on Sunday.
Although high-risk groups, such as drug addicts are spreading the disease quickly, the health ministry has indicated that those infected with the HIV virus are now expanding. The disease is infecting many women, fisherman, lorry drivers and factory workers, according to a recent Australian news report.
The heterosexual infectious transmission is rising, causing a "worrying trend," especially among women, according to Malaysia's government health official.
Currently there are approximately 73,000 Malaysians who have been infected with HIV. Although a great majority - about 75 percent - of infected Malaysians are IV drug users, the percentage of women in particular is quickly rising.
Although the government took a stance to fight the disease beginning with a five-year strategy that began in 2006, the Malaysian government indicates their success will depend on public cooperation.
According to the Malaysian Health Ministry, every day there are three people who die from an AIDS-related illness in the country, the AP reported.
February 12, 2007 10:59 a.m. EST
Patricia Shehan - All Headline News Staff Writer
Malaysia (AHN) - Malaysia's HIV/AIDS epidemic is rising and spreading fast. The number of HIV infections could rise to more than 300,000 by the year 2015 if something isn't done. That would be more than fourfold the current status, according to a top health official's warning to the public as reported on Sunday.
Although high-risk groups, such as drug addicts are spreading the disease quickly, the health ministry has indicated that those infected with the HIV virus are now expanding. The disease is infecting many women, fisherman, lorry drivers and factory workers, according to a recent Australian news report.
The heterosexual infectious transmission is rising, causing a "worrying trend," especially among women, according to Malaysia's government health official.
Currently there are approximately 73,000 Malaysians who have been infected with HIV. Although a great majority - about 75 percent - of infected Malaysians are IV drug users, the percentage of women in particular is quickly rising.
Although the government took a stance to fight the disease beginning with a five-year strategy that began in 2006, the Malaysian government indicates their success will depend on public cooperation.
According to the Malaysian Health Ministry, every day there are three people who die from an AIDS-related illness in the country, the AP reported.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
New compound shows promise in halting HIV spread
Source: Medical News today
A new compound has shown promise in halting the spread of HIV by preventing the virus from replicating. Developed by Temple University researchers, 2-5AN6B could someday work as an effective treatment for HIV especially in conjunction with current drug treatments. Their work is published in the January issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.
A nucleic acid, 2-5AN6B inhibited HIV replication in white blood cells from a group of 18 HIV infected patients by up to 80 percent, regardless of the patients' treatment regimens.
"A cure for HIV infection remains an elusive goal despite the significant impact of current treatments because of the virus' ability to adapt to and resist those treatments, and bypass the immune system's natural defenses," said Robert J. Suhadolnik, Ph.D., prinicipal investigator and professor of biochemistry at Temple University School of Medicine. "This compound prompts the body to restore its natural antiviral defense systems against the invading virus."
Current drugs for HIV work by blocking one of the steps toward virus replication.
"This new anti-HIV compound works by a very different mechanism, and would appear to offer the promise of someday being combined with existing anti-viral therapies for a much more effective treatment. It is also very important that this compound is much less likely to be defeated by the ability of the virus to mutate, a problem often encountered with existing anti-viral drugs," said Thomas Rogers, Ph.D., co-author and professor of pharmacology at Temple.
This work builds on decades of research by the Temple team which was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue pre-clinical studies on a larger scale. They'll be investigating the molecular mechanisms of 2-5AN6B as a potential weapon against HIV, and continue work on a new therapeutic approach involving gene therapy for the treatment of HIV infection.
A new compound has shown promise in halting the spread of HIV by preventing the virus from replicating. Developed by Temple University researchers, 2-5AN6B could someday work as an effective treatment for HIV especially in conjunction with current drug treatments. Their work is published in the January issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.
A nucleic acid, 2-5AN6B inhibited HIV replication in white blood cells from a group of 18 HIV infected patients by up to 80 percent, regardless of the patients' treatment regimens.
"A cure for HIV infection remains an elusive goal despite the significant impact of current treatments because of the virus' ability to adapt to and resist those treatments, and bypass the immune system's natural defenses," said Robert J. Suhadolnik, Ph.D., prinicipal investigator and professor of biochemistry at Temple University School of Medicine. "This compound prompts the body to restore its natural antiviral defense systems against the invading virus."
Current drugs for HIV work by blocking one of the steps toward virus replication.
"This new anti-HIV compound works by a very different mechanism, and would appear to offer the promise of someday being combined with existing anti-viral therapies for a much more effective treatment. It is also very important that this compound is much less likely to be defeated by the ability of the virus to mutate, a problem often encountered with existing anti-viral drugs," said Thomas Rogers, Ph.D., co-author and professor of pharmacology at Temple.
This work builds on decades of research by the Temple team which was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue pre-clinical studies on a larger scale. They'll be investigating the molecular mechanisms of 2-5AN6B as a potential weapon against HIV, and continue work on a new therapeutic approach involving gene therapy for the treatment of HIV infection.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Topics in HIV Medicine, Vol. 14, issue 5, Dec 06 / Jan 07
Perspectives
Immunizations for HIV-infected Adults: Indications, Timing, and Response
David H. Spach, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
Prioritizing Primary Care in HIV: Comorbidity, Toxicity, and Demography
Amy C. Justice, MD, PhD
Link to full-text (free access)
Renal Disease and Toxicities: Issues for HIV Care Providers
Derek M. Fine, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
Hepatitis B Virus Treatment in HIV-infected Patients
Chloe L. Thio, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
A print copy is also available in the library.
Immunizations for HIV-infected Adults: Indications, Timing, and Response
David H. Spach, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
Prioritizing Primary Care in HIV: Comorbidity, Toxicity, and Demography
Amy C. Justice, MD, PhD
Link to full-text (free access)
Renal Disease and Toxicities: Issues for HIV Care Providers
Derek M. Fine, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
Hepatitis B Virus Treatment in HIV-infected Patients
Chloe L. Thio, MD
Link to full-text (free access)
A print copy is also available in the library.
Washington men get hard-to-treat HIV strain
The Advocate
A hard-to-treat strain of the virus that causes AIDS has been found in four gay men in King County, Washington, and authorities fear it could spread to more. There is no evidence that the troublesome strain of HIV is spreading rapidly, but its appearance underscores the need for renewed emphasis on safe sex practices, officials in the Seattle-King County public health department said Thursday.
"There may be more cases we don't know about," said Dr. Bob Wood, the agency's HIV-AIDS program director. "We are still working to learn more about these individuals and the virus they have contracted," said Dorothy F. Teeter, interim director of the department. "We are concerned for these individuals and their partners and are continuing our investigation."
The same genetic strain of HIV was found over a 15-month period in all four men, methamphetamine users who each had multiple partners, but none is known to have had sex with any of the other three, officials said. "That's highly unusual," said Dr. Peter Shalit, who treats HIV-AIDS patients and directs HIV-AIDS research at Swedish Medical Center.
One possibility is that there is a new strain of multi-drug-resistant HIV that is spread more easily than previous drug-resistant strains, "definitely a scary prospect," Shalit said.
"There's no evidence that this has spread outside of King County," said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, chief of the behavioral and clinical surveillance branch at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the center also hasn't compared this strain with ones outside of King County because the center studies disease from a population, not an individual, perspective, he said Friday in a telephone interview.
One man in New York, diagnosed with HIV in December 2004, was found to have a multi-drug-resistant type of HIV and he too had multiple, anonymous sexual partners, a history of methamphetamine use, and had sex with men, according to the CDC. (...)
A hard-to-treat strain of the virus that causes AIDS has been found in four gay men in King County, Washington, and authorities fear it could spread to more. There is no evidence that the troublesome strain of HIV is spreading rapidly, but its appearance underscores the need for renewed emphasis on safe sex practices, officials in the Seattle-King County public health department said Thursday.
"There may be more cases we don't know about," said Dr. Bob Wood, the agency's HIV-AIDS program director. "We are still working to learn more about these individuals and the virus they have contracted," said Dorothy F. Teeter, interim director of the department. "We are concerned for these individuals and their partners and are continuing our investigation."
The same genetic strain of HIV was found over a 15-month period in all four men, methamphetamine users who each had multiple partners, but none is known to have had sex with any of the other three, officials said. "That's highly unusual," said Dr. Peter Shalit, who treats HIV-AIDS patients and directs HIV-AIDS research at Swedish Medical Center.
One possibility is that there is a new strain of multi-drug-resistant HIV that is spread more easily than previous drug-resistant strains, "definitely a scary prospect," Shalit said.
"There's no evidence that this has spread outside of King County," said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, chief of the behavioral and clinical surveillance branch at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the center also hasn't compared this strain with ones outside of King County because the center studies disease from a population, not an individual, perspective, he said Friday in a telephone interview.
One man in New York, diagnosed with HIV in December 2004, was found to have a multi-drug-resistant type of HIV and he too had multiple, anonymous sexual partners, a history of methamphetamine use, and had sex with men, according to the CDC. (...)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
2nd International Conference on HIV treatment adherence
International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care IAPACHyatt Regency Hotel, Jersey City, NJ - March 28-30, 2007
Adherence to medical treatment for HIV/AIDS is an essential determinant of treatment success or failure. Yet, we have much to learn about measurement and intervention for adherence - it is a complex challenge that requires multidisciplinary cooperation among providers, researchers, government agencies, and patients.
The goal of this conference is to provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of state-of-the-science HIV treatment adherence research, as well as current behavioral and clinical perspectives in practicum. Our ultimate hope is that this dialogue translates into evidence-based implementation of approaches for real world clinical and community settings.
This activity is targeted to physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, psychologists, social workers, researchers, and other healthcare professionals with an interest in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Program, registration:
http://www.iapac.org/home.asp?pid=7973
AIDS Epidemic Update - December 2006
Published by UNAIDS (The joint United Natiosn Programme on HIV/AIDS), the annual AIDS epidemic update reports on the latest developments in the global AIDS epidemic. With maps and regional summaries, the 2006 edition provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic’s scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic’s evolution. A copy of the AIDS Epidemic update is available in the library and online.
Tests of drug to block HIV infection are halted over safety
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN, The New York Times
Efforts to develop a topical microbicide to prevent H.I.V. infection during sex suffered a surprising setback yesterday when researchers announced that they had stopped two full-scale trials for safety reasons.
The trials, in Africa and India, involved a chemical, cellulose sulfate or Ushercell, and were the second failure of a potential microbicide in a full-scale trial in recent years. In one of the latest trials, a standard check by an independent scientific committee found an increased risk of H.I.V. infection among women who used cellulose sulfate compared with those who used a placebo gel.
In 2000, a large full-scale trial showed that the only other microbicide candidate, nonoxynol-9, was unsafe when it had been expected to be effective. Subjects in that trial developed a higher incidence of H.I.V. infection, presumably through ulcers caused by chemical irritation.
Yesterday, AIDS researchers at the World Health Organization, the United Nations AIDS program and other organizations expressed hope that at least one of three other potential microbicides undergoing full-scale testing would prove to be safe and effective. The others are Pro 2000 by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, BufferGel by ReProtect and Carraguard, whose trademark is held by the Population Council.
“While the closing of these trials is a profound disappointment for the microbicide field, we cannot let it paralyze us,” said Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, chief executive of the nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides in Silver Spring, Md.
In the absence of an AIDS vaccine, specialists say development of a microbicide is a public health priority, mainly to protect the many women in poor countries whose partners refuse to use condoms. Such protection could take the form of a gel, cream, film, tablet or sponge that could be inserted into the vagina or rectum.
The study that led to stopping the trials involved 1,333 participants in Benin, South Africa and Uganda. Conrad, a health research organization in Arlington, Va., conducted the study.
Conrad said the independent committee found more new H.I.V. infections among those who used cellulose sulfate than among those who used an inactive gel, but did not report any numbers. Final numbers are expected in March, a spokeswoman for Conrad said.
(...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/health/01aids.html?ref=world
Efforts to develop a topical microbicide to prevent H.I.V. infection during sex suffered a surprising setback yesterday when researchers announced that they had stopped two full-scale trials for safety reasons.
The trials, in Africa and India, involved a chemical, cellulose sulfate or Ushercell, and were the second failure of a potential microbicide in a full-scale trial in recent years. In one of the latest trials, a standard check by an independent scientific committee found an increased risk of H.I.V. infection among women who used cellulose sulfate compared with those who used a placebo gel.
In 2000, a large full-scale trial showed that the only other microbicide candidate, nonoxynol-9, was unsafe when it had been expected to be effective. Subjects in that trial developed a higher incidence of H.I.V. infection, presumably through ulcers caused by chemical irritation.
Yesterday, AIDS researchers at the World Health Organization, the United Nations AIDS program and other organizations expressed hope that at least one of three other potential microbicides undergoing full-scale testing would prove to be safe and effective. The others are Pro 2000 by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, BufferGel by ReProtect and Carraguard, whose trademark is held by the Population Council.
“While the closing of these trials is a profound disappointment for the microbicide field, we cannot let it paralyze us,” said Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, chief executive of the nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides in Silver Spring, Md.
In the absence of an AIDS vaccine, specialists say development of a microbicide is a public health priority, mainly to protect the many women in poor countries whose partners refuse to use condoms. Such protection could take the form of a gel, cream, film, tablet or sponge that could be inserted into the vagina or rectum.
The study that led to stopping the trials involved 1,333 participants in Benin, South Africa and Uganda. Conrad, a health research organization in Arlington, Va., conducted the study.
Conrad said the independent committee found more new H.I.V. infections among those who used cellulose sulfate than among those who used an inactive gel, but did not report any numbers. Final numbers are expected in March, a spokeswoman for Conrad said.
(...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/health/01aids.html?ref=world
Over 50's more likely to have elevated lipids and glucose during HIV therapy
AIDSMAP, Michel Carter.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/0CC9C076-C428-4925-9744-D3AA67BF586F.asp
Older HIV-positive patients are more likely than HIV-positive individuals under the age of 35 to experience increases in blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides after a year of antiretroviral therapy, Italian investigators report in the November edition of HIV Medicine. The study also revealed that older patients have a greater risk than younger patients of developing certain co-morbidities such as heart disease or diabetes after taking HIV treatment. However, the investigators found that anti-HIV therapy had a similar virological and immunological effect in older and younger patients.
With prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment there is increasing optimism that HIV-positive individuals will survive into old age. The demographics of the HIV-positive population are already changing. In Italy in 1985, for example, the median age for male HIV-infected individuals was 29 and 24 for female patients. By 2004, these ages had increased to a median of 41 and 38 years.
Although older age has been associated with faster HIV disease progression and increased mortality, HIV treatment guidelines do not make any specific recommendations regarding the use of antiretrovirals in older patients.
Therefore, doctors in Milan conducted longitudinal analysis comparing treatment outcomes, the rate of metabolic complications, and the incidence of side-effects and new co-morbidities after the first year of HIV therapy in patients aged over 50 years and those aged between 25 and 35 years.
A total of 159 older patients and 118 controls were included in the investigators’ analysis. The older patients had a mean age of 59 years compared to 30 years in the younger patients.
(...)
Reference
Orlando G et al. Antiretroviral treatment and age-related comorbidities in a cohort of older HIV-infected patients. HIV Med 7: 549 – 557, 2006.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/0CC9C076-C428-4925-9744-D3AA67BF586F.asp
Older HIV-positive patients are more likely than HIV-positive individuals under the age of 35 to experience increases in blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides after a year of antiretroviral therapy, Italian investigators report in the November edition of HIV Medicine. The study also revealed that older patients have a greater risk than younger patients of developing certain co-morbidities such as heart disease or diabetes after taking HIV treatment. However, the investigators found that anti-HIV therapy had a similar virological and immunological effect in older and younger patients.
With prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment there is increasing optimism that HIV-positive individuals will survive into old age. The demographics of the HIV-positive population are already changing. In Italy in 1985, for example, the median age for male HIV-infected individuals was 29 and 24 for female patients. By 2004, these ages had increased to a median of 41 and 38 years.
Although older age has been associated with faster HIV disease progression and increased mortality, HIV treatment guidelines do not make any specific recommendations regarding the use of antiretrovirals in older patients.
Therefore, doctors in Milan conducted longitudinal analysis comparing treatment outcomes, the rate of metabolic complications, and the incidence of side-effects and new co-morbidities after the first year of HIV therapy in patients aged over 50 years and those aged between 25 and 35 years.
A total of 159 older patients and 118 controls were included in the investigators’ analysis. The older patients had a mean age of 59 years compared to 30 years in the younger patients.
(...)
Reference
Orlando G et al. Antiretroviral treatment and age-related comorbidities in a cohort of older HIV-infected patients. HIV Med 7: 549 – 557, 2006.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
South Africa: HIV now spreading fastest among rich and educated
Health-e (Cape Town)
January 30, 2007
Khopotso Bodibe
Startling new evidence from a three-year survey shows that HIV is now growing fastest among those who are wealthier and educated.
"Our belief that HIV is a disease of the impoverished, the unemployed, the uneducated is actually wrong," says Professor Carel van Aardt, Director of Research at UNISA's Bureau of Market Research.
"It seems that the most rapid growth at the moment is among the educated, among the employed, among the people with higher incomes, and also the people in high class in society.
"And it's putting really at risk also, a very substantial part of the growing black diamond class in South Africa, which is very necessary for future economic development and we're also seeing a very high growth among the white group that was for a long time believed not to be so heavily affected by HIV/AIDS.
Van Aardt described the current trend as a "third epidemic", following after the first HIV infections, which were mainly confined to gay men, and the second, which predominantl affected poor heterosexuals.
Data gathered over the research period shows a consistent rise in HIV infections among professionals and people in permanent employment.
In 2002, an estimated 6.2% of professional people were HIV-positive. By 2004, had increased to 8.3% -- an increase of 34%.
HIV infection among full-time employees has increased from about 14.1 % in 2002 to about 19.2 % by 2005 - a 36% increase.
Van Aardt says that there has also been an HIV increase of almost 40% among the economic elite - "the drivers of the economy in terms of also their household expenditure". The HIV rate among this group is 8.5%. (...)
To read the article, click here
January 30, 2007
Khopotso Bodibe
Startling new evidence from a three-year survey shows that HIV is now growing fastest among those who are wealthier and educated.
"Our belief that HIV is a disease of the impoverished, the unemployed, the uneducated is actually wrong," says Professor Carel van Aardt, Director of Research at UNISA's Bureau of Market Research.
"It seems that the most rapid growth at the moment is among the educated, among the employed, among the people with higher incomes, and also the people in high class in society.
"And it's putting really at risk also, a very substantial part of the growing black diamond class in South Africa, which is very necessary for future economic development and we're also seeing a very high growth among the white group that was for a long time believed not to be so heavily affected by HIV/AIDS.
Van Aardt described the current trend as a "third epidemic", following after the first HIV infections, which were mainly confined to gay men, and the second, which predominantl affected poor heterosexuals.
Data gathered over the research period shows a consistent rise in HIV infections among professionals and people in permanent employment.
In 2002, an estimated 6.2% of professional people were HIV-positive. By 2004, had increased to 8.3% -- an increase of 34%.
HIV infection among full-time employees has increased from about 14.1 % in 2002 to about 19.2 % by 2005 - a 36% increase.
Van Aardt says that there has also been an HIV increase of almost 40% among the economic elite - "the drivers of the economy in terms of also their household expenditure". The HIV rate among this group is 8.5%. (...)
To read the article, click here
Monday, January 29, 2007
Perceptions of Africa: A Dialogue
Three evenings of talks, discussion, and reflection relating to Africa, AIDS, and Representation of Africa by the West
Thursday, March 8 – Saturday, March 10, 2007
UBC Museum of Anthropology
6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, B.C.
Distinguished speakers include:
Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Michael Gondwe and Aaron Maluwa, AIDS Educators from Malawi
Dr. Handel Wright, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Cultural Studies
Tickets $9 per evening or $20 for the 3-evening series; students $7 per evening or $15 for series.
To pre-register call 604.822.5087. For details (including speakers’ profiles) call 604.822.5978 or visit www.moa.ubc.ca.
The African continent, rich in diversity, culture, and complexity, is often viewed in a context of despair and desperation that excludes the other multifaceted realities that exist in a continent of over fifty countries. Through this Dialogue, we will review some of the ways in which African countries are represented in the west, look at ways in which African countries are finding their own solutions in addressing AIDS, and create a forum where the public can participate in reviewing, responding to, and reflecting on these themes.
"Perceptions of Africa" is the second in the Museum's annual Global Dialogue series, and is presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Village is Tilting: Dancing AIDS in Malawi," opening on February 6, 2007.
Thursday, March 8, 7:00-9:00 pm – Representations of Africa
Keynote address: Dr. Handel Wright - Is This An African I See Before Me?; Speakers: Manu Kabahizi (Africa: the Continent); Towela Magai (The Problem with Compassion: Searching for African Solutions); Maureen Mogambi (Africa versus ‘Africa’: A Challenge to Perceptions of Africa); Sanya Pleshakov (Coming into Focus: A Canadian's Personal Perspective on Malawi).
Friday, March 9, 7:00-9:00 pm – African Agency, Local Initiatives, and AIDS
Keynote address: Michael Gondwe and Aaron Maluwa (Museums as Agents of Change: HIV/AIDS and Malaria education in Malawi); Juliet Tembe (Countering stigmatizing discourses on HIV/AIDS in Uganda); Douglas Curran (Other Reasons for Dying).
Saturday March 10, 3:00 -5:00 pm – Canada Responds, Reflects, Engages
Keynote address: Dr. Julio Montaner (Expanding AIDS Treatment as a Strategy to Curb the Growth of the HIV Epidemic Here and Abroad); Ishi Dinim (Filming Canadian AIDS Initiatives in Malawi). A reception will follow the discussion.
Thursday, March 8 – Saturday, March 10, 2007
UBC Museum of Anthropology
6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, B.C.
Distinguished speakers include:
Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Michael Gondwe and Aaron Maluwa, AIDS Educators from Malawi
Dr. Handel Wright, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Cultural Studies
Tickets $9 per evening or $20 for the 3-evening series; students $7 per evening or $15 for series.
To pre-register call 604.822.5087. For details (including speakers’ profiles) call 604.822.5978 or visit www.moa.ubc.ca.
The African continent, rich in diversity, culture, and complexity, is often viewed in a context of despair and desperation that excludes the other multifaceted realities that exist in a continent of over fifty countries. Through this Dialogue, we will review some of the ways in which African countries are represented in the west, look at ways in which African countries are finding their own solutions in addressing AIDS, and create a forum where the public can participate in reviewing, responding to, and reflecting on these themes.
"Perceptions of Africa" is the second in the Museum's annual Global Dialogue series, and is presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Village is Tilting: Dancing AIDS in Malawi," opening on February 6, 2007.
Thursday, March 8, 7:00-9:00 pm – Representations of Africa
Keynote address: Dr. Handel Wright - Is This An African I See Before Me?; Speakers: Manu Kabahizi (Africa: the Continent); Towela Magai (The Problem with Compassion: Searching for African Solutions); Maureen Mogambi (Africa versus ‘Africa’: A Challenge to Perceptions of Africa); Sanya Pleshakov (Coming into Focus: A Canadian's Personal Perspective on Malawi).
Friday, March 9, 7:00-9:00 pm – African Agency, Local Initiatives, and AIDS
Keynote address: Michael Gondwe and Aaron Maluwa (Museums as Agents of Change: HIV/AIDS and Malaria education in Malawi); Juliet Tembe (Countering stigmatizing discourses on HIV/AIDS in Uganda); Douglas Curran (Other Reasons for Dying).
Saturday March 10, 3:00 -5:00 pm – Canada Responds, Reflects, Engages
Keynote address: Dr. Julio Montaner (Expanding AIDS Treatment as a Strategy to Curb the Growth of the HIV Epidemic Here and Abroad); Ishi Dinim (Filming Canadian AIDS Initiatives in Malawi). A reception will follow the discussion.
New issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Vol. 20, no 12
In this issue:Case Report: Aminotransferase Elevation in HIV/Hepatitis B Virus Co-infected Patients Treated with Two Active Hepatitis B Virus Drugs.
pp. 817-822.
Abstract
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Presenting as Sinusitis with Inflammatory Pseudotumor in an HIV-Infected Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
pp.823-828.
Abstract
Reconstructive Treatment for Antiretroviral-Associated Facial Lipoatrophy: A Prospective Study Comparing Autologous Fat and Synthetic Substances
pp. 829-837.
Abstract
High-Risk Groups for Late Diagnosis of HIV Infection: A Need for Rethinking Testing Policy in the General Population
pp. 838-847.
Abstract
Individual Variability in Barriers Affecting People's Decision to Take HAART: A Qualitative Study Identifying Barriers to Being on HAART
pp. 848-857.
Abstract
Systematic Development of a Self-Help and Motivational Enhancement Intervention to Promote Sexual Health in HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men
pp. 858-875.
Abstract
The Cost of Care for Patients with HIV from the Provider Economic Perspective
pp. 876-886.
Abstract
Contact us for copies of articles. Please limit your requests to 5 articles
Friday, January 26, 2007
New AmfAR Research Grants Aim To Advance Understanding And Prevention Of Rectal HIV Transmission
Source: Medical News Today
"amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has awarded nearly $1 million for eight new research grants and fellowships aimed at increasing understanding and prevention of rectal HIV transmission, Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfAR's vice president of research announced today.
"Twenty-five years after the first identification of AIDS, the taboos that surround an open discussion of sexual behavior are still haunting us in our efforts to contain this pandemic" said Dr. Johnston. "It is time for us to take an honest and unflinching look at how HIV is spread and how to minimize the risks. This new research should help us to further untangle this riddle."
Sexual transmission accounts for the majority of HIV infections both in the United States and around the world, but how much of that transmission is due to anal intercourse remains unclear.
Although not often acknowledged, many heterosexual couples engage in anal intercourse and may not be aware that they are placing themselves at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, Dr. Johnston said. In South Africa, a country with one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, little is known about the extent to which the virus is spread by anal intercourse. Dr. Joanne Mantell, a researcher at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene in New York, will use amfAR funding to gain insight into the frequency of anal intercourse in South Africa among heterosexuals and the circumstances under which it occurs.
Others, such as Drs. Charlene Dezutti of Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation in Pittsburgh and Craig Hendrix of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, will strive to understand the interactions between the virus and the cells in the rectum and colon that can tip the scale towards the establishment of infection.
Understanding the extent to which anal intercourse spreads HIV infection will become increasingly important as researchers race to devise microbicides, which may be effective only when used vaginally. Findings made by these new amfAR researchers will contribute to the development of prevention technologies that can also be used by those engaging in anal intercourse."
Click here to see the recipents of this $1 million (US) round of funding, and their projects.
"amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has awarded nearly $1 million for eight new research grants and fellowships aimed at increasing understanding and prevention of rectal HIV transmission, Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfAR's vice president of research announced today.
"Twenty-five years after the first identification of AIDS, the taboos that surround an open discussion of sexual behavior are still haunting us in our efforts to contain this pandemic" said Dr. Johnston. "It is time for us to take an honest and unflinching look at how HIV is spread and how to minimize the risks. This new research should help us to further untangle this riddle."
Sexual transmission accounts for the majority of HIV infections both in the United States and around the world, but how much of that transmission is due to anal intercourse remains unclear.
Although not often acknowledged, many heterosexual couples engage in anal intercourse and may not be aware that they are placing themselves at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, Dr. Johnston said. In South Africa, a country with one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, little is known about the extent to which the virus is spread by anal intercourse. Dr. Joanne Mantell, a researcher at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene in New York, will use amfAR funding to gain insight into the frequency of anal intercourse in South Africa among heterosexuals and the circumstances under which it occurs.
Others, such as Drs. Charlene Dezutti of Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation in Pittsburgh and Craig Hendrix of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, will strive to understand the interactions between the virus and the cells in the rectum and colon that can tip the scale towards the establishment of infection.
Understanding the extent to which anal intercourse spreads HIV infection will become increasingly important as researchers race to devise microbicides, which may be effective only when used vaginally. Findings made by these new amfAR researchers will contribute to the development of prevention technologies that can also be used by those engaging in anal intercourse."
Click here to see the recipents of this $1 million (US) round of funding, and their projects.
New Drugs Awaiting Discovery In Chinese Herbs?
The first large-scale computer screenings of Chinese herbs -- commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine -- has revealed a wide variety of compounds with potential for use in treating HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, arthritis and other diseases, according to scientists in London.
In an article scheduled for the March 26 issue of the ACS' Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, a bi-monthly publication, David J. Barlow and colleagues note that such in silico research is becoming increasingly effective in identifying promising compounds that could be candidates for drug development. In silico ("in silicon") means research done on computers or via computer simulation and has joined the in vivo and in vitro experiments traditionally used in the life sciences.
The researchers screened a database of chemical structures of Chinese herbal constituents from 240 species of plants for possible activity against various diseases. About 62 percent of the species were found to contain chemicals with characteristics required for activity against at least one disease and 53 percent against two or more diseases. The study also describes corroborative evidence from the scientific literature that supported many of the computer predictions. In a companion article in the journal, the researchers describe the herbal databases.
Source: Medical News Today
In an article scheduled for the March 26 issue of the ACS' Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, a bi-monthly publication, David J. Barlow and colleagues note that such in silico research is becoming increasingly effective in identifying promising compounds that could be candidates for drug development. In silico ("in silicon") means research done on computers or via computer simulation and has joined the in vivo and in vitro experiments traditionally used in the life sciences.
The researchers screened a database of chemical structures of Chinese herbal constituents from 240 species of plants for possible activity against various diseases. About 62 percent of the species were found to contain chemicals with characteristics required for activity against at least one disease and 53 percent against two or more diseases. The study also describes corroborative evidence from the scientific literature that supported many of the computer predictions. In a companion article in the journal, the researchers describe the herbal databases.
Source: Medical News Today
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Children and AIDS: a stocktaking report
UNICEF report shows mixed HIV/AIDS response in Southern AfricaSome countries made progress in protecting and supporting women and children affected by HIV/AIDS during 2006 but huge gaps remained, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned in a new report this week.
In its 'Children and AIDS: A Stocktaking Report', the agency charged that the overall global response was still "tragically insufficient".
Although acknowledging that the demand for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs continued to outstrip supply in most instances, Festo Kavishe, the UNICEF Country Representative for Zimbabwe, told IRIN/PlusNews that most nations had made notable breakthroughs.
To counter the global threat, at least 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa had completed national plans of action for the benefit of orphans and vulnerable children, and several others were not far behind.
"For instance, behaviour change [in Zimbabwe] has translated into a decline in HIV prevalence, and we have secured donor funds to implement a national plan of action for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), and also a scaled-up response to prevention, treatment and care," he said.
Kavishe stressed that without ongoing strong leadership, commitment by all stakeholders and decisive action, the past year's gains might be lost. "The first generation affected by the AIDS epidemic has borne ... [the] brunt; we must ensure that the next generation is better prepared to deal with the challenge." (...)
Read the article at : AIDS Channel(http://www.aidschannel.org/article/view/83939/1/)
A copy of the report is available in the library.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Young women 'complacent over HIV'
BBC News
Seven out of 10 young women do not believe they are at any risk of being infected with HIV, a survey has found. The poll, commissioned by The Body Shop and MTV, also found 92% do not think a condom is an essential handbag item on a night out.
Two-thirds of the 1,064 women aged 16 to 30 surveyed thought it would spoil their chances of having sex. But campaigners warn that complacency about HIV is hindering efforts to curb the spread of disease.
Worldwide figures show that more than half of the 4.3 million people newly diagnosed with HIV last year were under the age of 24. The Health Protection Agency estimates around 63,500 UK adults were living with HIV in 2005 - with as many as a third unaware of their infection...
Read the article
Seven out of 10 young women do not believe they are at any risk of being infected with HIV, a survey has found. The poll, commissioned by The Body Shop and MTV, also found 92% do not think a condom is an essential handbag item on a night out.
Two-thirds of the 1,064 women aged 16 to 30 surveyed thought it would spoil their chances of having sex. But campaigners warn that complacency about HIV is hindering efforts to curb the spread of disease.
Worldwide figures show that more than half of the 4.3 million people newly diagnosed with HIV last year were under the age of 24. The Health Protection Agency estimates around 63,500 UK adults were living with HIV in 2005 - with as many as a third unaware of their infection...
Read the article
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
New book: Preventing HIV
Cairns, Gus (ed.). Preventing HIV.
London, NAM, 2006
Call number: G 100 CAI 2006 (Click on call number to borrow this book!)
This book covers the most up to date evidence on preventing HIV infection:
Through safer sex
Through behaviour change
Using antiretroviral drugs
Through HIV testing
Which HIV prevention methods work best?
It also brings readers up to date on future technologies, including microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis, HIV vaccines.
Preventing HIV is a companion to the AIDS Reference manual, also available in the library.
Selenium supplements may contribute to reduced HIV viral load
Taking daily selenium supplements appears to increase the level of the essential mineral in the blood and may suppress the progression of viral load in patients with HIV infection, according to an article in the January 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have given HIV patients a longer life expectancy, according to background information in the article. However, strict adherence to the therapy is required to keep HIV viral counts low, and there is a risk of toxic effects and metabolic dysfunction. "Thus, complete control of HIV over time using ART is unlikely, and pharmacotherapeutic limitations leave a significant void in the treatment arsenal," the authors write. Selenium deficiencies have been observed in patients with HIV spectrum disease and evidence suggests that selenium supplements can improve immune functioning...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122183124.htm
Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have given HIV patients a longer life expectancy, according to background information in the article. However, strict adherence to the therapy is required to keep HIV viral counts low, and there is a risk of toxic effects and metabolic dysfunction. "Thus, complete control of HIV over time using ART is unlikely, and pharmacotherapeutic limitations leave a significant void in the treatment arsenal," the authors write. Selenium deficiencies have been observed in patients with HIV spectrum disease and evidence suggests that selenium supplements can improve immune functioning...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122183124.htm
Thursday, January 18, 2007
New book : My pet virus
Decker, S.My pet virus : The true story of a rebel without a cure.
New York, Penguin, 2006
Call number: F 200 DEC 2006 (Click on call number to borrow this book!)
"Decker, a hemophiliac, learned at age 11 that he was HIV-positive. In his candid, raucous memoir, he recounts what it meant to grow up with his "pet virus" in the 1980s and 1990s. There's plenty of self-deprecation and no self-pity as he describes his first girlfriends and sexual encounters; the experience of meeting his favorite band, Depeche Mode, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation; and the process of gaining the confidence to "come out" and talk about his disease publicly, ultimately finding a career as a writer and speaker. Throughout, he's clear about his family's unwavering support and tough love ("Don't complain. The person a few rooms over may be taking a dirt nap tonight," his mother, who shares his dark humor, calmly remarks in the hospital); and his growing relationship with Gwen, the HIV-negative young woman who becomes his wife, is particularly poignant. There are too-few memoirs about living with AIDS, and this hilarious, outspoken, and vibrant story will instruct and inspire its readers."
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
New Issue of Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services, Vol. 5, no 3/4
Voices Heard, Lessons Learned: Progress and Evolving Challenges for Practice, Research, and Policy
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94861
Gay Men Living with HIV/AIDS: The Potential for Empowerment
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94862
Empowerment: The Evolving Nature of the Relationship Between HIV/AIDS Patients and Their Physicians
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94863
"Wearing Two Hats": Work-Related Needs of HIV-Seropositive Women Working in the HIV Field
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94864
Facilitators and Barriers to Care for Haitian Americans with HIV or AIDS
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94865
Thai Women's Experiences with HIV/AIDS: Perspectives on Coping
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94866
BOOK REVIEWS
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94867
Continuing to Provide and Fund a Mix of Ryan White Title I HIV/AIDS Services: Support from "The Voices of Experience" Needs Surveys in Massachusetts
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94868
Informal Social Support for HIV Medical Care
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94869
Organizational Correlates of Specialized Substance Abuse Treatment Provision to Seropositive Clients: A Political Economy Perspective
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94870
Social Service Delivery Preferences Among African American Women Who Use Crack Cocaine:
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94871
The Case for an Integrated Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention: Support and Treatment Services in Canada
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94872
Development of a Community-Based Participatory Research Effort to Evaluate Conventional HIV Testing (CHT) and HIV Rapid Testing (HRT)
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94873
HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Perceptions Among African American Male and Female College Students at a Historical Black University
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94874
Contact us for copies!
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94861
Gay Men Living with HIV/AIDS: The Potential for Empowerment
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94862
Empowerment: The Evolving Nature of the Relationship Between HIV/AIDS Patients and Their Physicians
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94863
"Wearing Two Hats": Work-Related Needs of HIV-Seropositive Women Working in the HIV Field
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94864
Facilitators and Barriers to Care for Haitian Americans with HIV or AIDS
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94865
Thai Women's Experiences with HIV/AIDS: Perspectives on Coping
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94866
BOOK REVIEWS
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94867
Continuing to Provide and Fund a Mix of Ryan White Title I HIV/AIDS Services: Support from "The Voices of Experience" Needs Surveys in Massachusetts
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94868
Informal Social Support for HIV Medical Care
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94869
Organizational Correlates of Specialized Substance Abuse Treatment Provision to Seropositive Clients: A Political Economy Perspective
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94870
Social Service Delivery Preferences Among African American Women Who Use Crack Cocaine:
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94871
The Case for an Integrated Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention: Support and Treatment Services in Canada
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94872
Development of a Community-Based Participatory Research Effort to Evaluate Conventional HIV Testing (CHT) and HIV Rapid Testing (HRT)
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94873
HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Perceptions Among African American Male and Female College Students at a Historical Black University
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=94874
Contact us for copies!
Monday, January 15, 2007
New book in the library : The Geometry of care
Indyk, Debbie (Ed.). The geometry of care : linking resources, research and community to reduce degrees of separation between HIV treatment and prevention.
Bionghamton, NY, The Haworth Press, 2006
Call number: D 800 IND 2006 (Click on call number to borrow this book!)
"An effective strategy to deal with the AIDS epidemic is to have a wide range of scientists, clinicians, front-line workers, and clients distribute theory, care, and resource knowledge geometrically through all levels. The Geometry of Care: Linking Resources, Research, and Community to Reduce Degrees of Separation Between HIV Treatment and Prevention shows how to link bottom-up and top-down approaches to advance care, services, resources, training, theory, and policy analysis. Leading authorities draw upon behavioral and organizational theory to discuss the development of the frameworks necessary to effectively disseminate knowledge to benefit those needing care and to protect the community from further risk."
Thursday, January 11, 2007
List of new acquisitions
The library publishes a monthly list of new acquisitions: books, videos, and a selection of journal articles on various topics. Whenever a document is available online, links are provided to make it easier for you to access the resource.Print copies are available in the library. If you want to receive the list by email, it's easy! Just call us at 604-893-2248 or send an email to library@aidsvancouver.org.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Website of the week
WAVE: Women and AIDS Virtual Educationhttp://www.pwn-wave.ca/
WAVE is a website "where women with HIV and their HIV care providers will find support, information and education. WAVE is provided by Positive Women's Network in Vancouver, Canada and offers women with HIV who are newly diagnosed a special section with common immediate concerns.
WAVE offers women living with HIV an opportunity to access support and education, and to develop a community without having to leave their homes or risk disclosure. It provides an immediate response to the issues women face around HIV in a manner that is women-centred, relevant and reliable."
Monday, January 08, 2007
New HIV Test May Predict Drug Resistance
January 07, 2007
DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have developed a highly sensitive test for identifying which drug-resistant strains of HIV are harbored in a patient's bloodstream.
The test may provide physicians with a tool to guide patient treatment by predicting if a patient is likely to become resistant to a particular HIV drug, said one of its developers, Feng Gao, M.D., associate professor of medicine. Drug resistance is one of the most common reasons why therapy for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, fails.
The test, which detects genetic changes, or mutations, in HIV, also may help scientists understand how the constantly evolving virus develops drug resistance, Gao said. He said such knowledge ultimately may result in the development of new treatments designed to evade resistance.
The findings will appear online on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007, in the journal Nature Methods, as well as in the journal's February 2007 print edition. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Duke Center for AIDS Research.
To read the article, click here.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have developed a highly sensitive test for identifying which drug-resistant strains of HIV are harbored in a patient's bloodstream.
The test may provide physicians with a tool to guide patient treatment by predicting if a patient is likely to become resistant to a particular HIV drug, said one of its developers, Feng Gao, M.D., associate professor of medicine. Drug resistance is one of the most common reasons why therapy for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, fails.
The test, which detects genetic changes, or mutations, in HIV, also may help scientists understand how the constantly evolving virus develops drug resistance, Gao said. He said such knowledge ultimately may result in the development of new treatments designed to evade resistance.
The findings will appear online on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007, in the journal Nature Methods, as well as in the journal's February 2007 print edition. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Duke Center for AIDS Research.
To read the article, click here.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
New issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Vol. 20, no 11
In this issue:
New Issues in the Challenge of HIV Drug Resistance
pp. 737-740.
Three-Class Antiretroviral Resistance in a Patient with Acute HIV-1
pp. 741-744. Abstract
Successful Treatment with Atazanavir and Lopinavir/Ritonavir Combination Therapy in Protease Inhibitor-Susceptible and Protease Inhibitor-Resistant HIV-Infected Patients
pp. 745-759. Abstract
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Survey Questions for Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications and Exploratory Analyses for Identifying Optimal Sets of Survey Questions
pp. 760-772. Abstract
A Randomized Trial of the Impact of a Programmable Medication Reminder Device on Quality of Life in Patients with
pp. 773-781. Abstract
Association of Comorbidity with Physical Disability in Older HIV-Infected Adults
pp. 782-791. Abstract
The Intent and Practice of Condom Use Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in Japan
pp. 792-802. Abstract
HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceived Benefits, and Risks of HIV Testing Among Pregnant Women in Rural Southern India
pp. 803-811. Abstract
Antiviral Briefs
pp. 812-813.
Drug Developments and STD News
pp. 814-816.
New Issues in the Challenge of HIV Drug Resistance
pp. 737-740.
Three-Class Antiretroviral Resistance in a Patient with Acute HIV-1
pp. 741-744. Abstract
Successful Treatment with Atazanavir and Lopinavir/Ritonavir Combination Therapy in Protease Inhibitor-Susceptible and Protease Inhibitor-Resistant HIV-Infected Patients
pp. 745-759. Abstract
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Survey Questions for Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications and Exploratory Analyses for Identifying Optimal Sets of Survey Questions
pp. 760-772. Abstract
A Randomized Trial of the Impact of a Programmable Medication Reminder Device on Quality of Life in Patients with
pp. 773-781. Abstract
Association of Comorbidity with Physical Disability in Older HIV-Infected Adults
pp. 782-791. Abstract
The Intent and Practice of Condom Use Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in Japan
pp. 792-802. Abstract
HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceived Benefits, and Risks of HIV Testing Among Pregnant Women in Rural Southern India
pp. 803-811. Abstract
Antiviral Briefs
pp. 812-813.
Drug Developments and STD News
pp. 814-816.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
New article published in Harm Reduction Journal
HIV seroprevalence among participants at a medically supervised injection facility in Vancouver, Canada: Implications for prevention, care and treatment.
Abstract:
North Americas first government sanctioned medically supervised injection facility (SIF) was opened during September 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. This was in response to a large open public drug scene, high rates of HIV and hepatitis C transmission, fatal drug overdoses, and poor health outcomes among the citys injection drug users. Between December 2003 and April 2005, a representative sample of 1,035 SIF participants were enrolled in a prospective cohort that required completing an interviewer-administered questionnaire and providing a blood sample for HIV testing. HIV infection was detected in 170/1007 (17%) participants and was associated with Aboriginal ethnicity (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR], 2.70, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI], 1.84-3.97), a history of borrowing used needles/syringes (aOR, 2.0, 95% CI, 1.37-2.93), previous incarceration (aOR, 1.87, 95% CI, 1.11-3.14), and daily injection cocaine use (aOR, 1.42, 95% CI, 1.00-2.03). The SIF has attracted a large number of marginalized injection drug users and presents an excellent opportunity to enhance HIV prevention through education, the provision of sterile injecting equipment, and a supervised environment to self-inject. In addition, the SIF is an important point of contact for HIV positive individuals who may not be participating in HIV care and treatment.
Click here to read the article.
Abstract:
North Americas first government sanctioned medically supervised injection facility (SIF) was opened during September 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. This was in response to a large open public drug scene, high rates of HIV and hepatitis C transmission, fatal drug overdoses, and poor health outcomes among the citys injection drug users. Between December 2003 and April 2005, a representative sample of 1,035 SIF participants were enrolled in a prospective cohort that required completing an interviewer-administered questionnaire and providing a blood sample for HIV testing. HIV infection was detected in 170/1007 (17%) participants and was associated with Aboriginal ethnicity (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR], 2.70, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI], 1.84-3.97), a history of borrowing used needles/syringes (aOR, 2.0, 95% CI, 1.37-2.93), previous incarceration (aOR, 1.87, 95% CI, 1.11-3.14), and daily injection cocaine use (aOR, 1.42, 95% CI, 1.00-2.03). The SIF has attracted a large number of marginalized injection drug users and presents an excellent opportunity to enhance HIV prevention through education, the provision of sterile injecting equipment, and a supervised environment to self-inject. In addition, the SIF is an important point of contact for HIV positive individuals who may not be participating in HIV care and treatment.
Click here to read the article.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Launch of CONNECT: Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Gateway
CONNECT is a union catalogue. You can use this catalogue to search the library collections of the five largest HIV/AIDS libraries in Canada. That represents a combined collection of over 67 000 books, videos, DVDs, journal articles, and other resources on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and legal/ethical issues, among many other topics.CONNECT is a Canadian partnership between community-based HIV/AIDS organizations:
- AIDS Committee of Toronto
- AIDS Vancouver
- Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Centre
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
Visit us at http://www.hivinfovih.ca/ !!!
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