Latest Antiretroviral drug Stories

In this week's PLoS Medicine, Luis Montaner from the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, USA and colleagues retrospectively apply a potential capacity-saving CD4 count model to a cohort of HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy. The study's findings suggest that the model could be used to optimize laboratory capacity in settings where resources are limited. The authors stress that the method is not intended to replace CD4 count testing or establish a second tier of healthcare, rather the...

A study in this week's PLoS Medicine suggests that when people are first infected with HIV (primary HIV infection), temporary treatment with antiretroviral drugs (cART) for 24 weeks can delay the need to restart treatment during chronic HIV infection. These findings are important as currently, treatment for people with HIV is often deferred until the CD4 count falls below a certain level (350) or is based on clinical symptoms. In a study led by Marlous Grijsen from the Academic Medical...

TITUSVILLE, N.J., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved INTELENCE® (etravirine) to be administered in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) medications for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) in treatment-experienced pediatric patients (6 years to less than 18 years old) who are experiencing virologic failure with HIV-1 strains resistant to a...

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take their medication every day, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The researchers found that patients were less likely to miss doses if they were sent weekly mobile phone text message reminders. Text messaging is increasingly being used as a means of support in health care, including to help promote attendance at clinics and hospitals, and to increase contact between patients and care workers. There is also...

A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have successfully flushed latent HIV infection from hiding, with a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma. Tackling latent HIV in the immune system is critical to finding a cure for AIDS. The results were presented today at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Washington. While current antiretroviral therapies can very effectively control virus levels, they can never...

In what may prove to be a major step forward for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, scientists have discovered an effective way to eliminate a notoriously persistent form of the virus that does not respond to current therapies. The research, published online by Cell Press on March 8th from the journal Immunity, describes a vaccination strategy that may be essential for successful eradication efforts and should therefore be considered for future clinical trials. Current antiretroviral...

WHAT: Results from two studies presented today at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle demonstrate the importance of identifying and treating HIV-infected infants within the first year of life both to prevent harm to the immune system and to enable normal neurological development. Although immediate ART during infancy benefits HIV-infected babies, the prospect of lifelong treatment raises numerous concerns, including the risk of drug side...

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care publishes new set of evidence-based guidelines to overcome common barriers to optimal care for patients of all ages WHAT: The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) today announced the publication of a new set of evidence-based guidelines meant to optimize entry into and retention in HIV care and adherence to HIV treatment. The "Guidelines for Improving Entry into and Retention in Care and Antiretroviral...

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) publishes new set of evidence-based guidelines to overcome common barriers to optimal care for patients of all ages PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release is being issued by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: WHAT: The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) today announced the publication of a new set of evidence-based guidelines meant to optimize...

Leading AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and other institutions around the world have issued new guidelines to promote entry into and retention in HIV care, as well as adherence to HIV treatment, drawn from the results of 325 studies conducted with tens of thousands of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The guidelines are believed to be the first ever to focus exclusively on how best to get those newly diagnosed with HIV into treatment plans and to help them adhere to...