Volume 14 Number 5/6 May/June 2013

This issue of HTB leads with reviews from the 14th Pharmacology Workshop that was held in Amsterdam in April.

We also continue our reports from CROI 2013, with coverage of pregnancy and PMTCT, cardiavascular complications, new treatments for hepatitis C and basic science and cure studies.

While US regulatory decisions are delayed for the separate formulations of elvitegravir and cobicistat, this does not affect the fixed dose combination Stribild (Quad) that is expected to receive EU approval as this issue is being printed.

Paediatric formulations of raltegravir and efavirenz have been approved by the European Commission and US FDA respectively.

Global access news reports the final decision by the Indian Supreme Court to find against Novartis in their protracted claim to extend patent rights for the chemotherapy drug imatinib mesylate.

We have reported on this case in HTB for over seven years. The results are a significant victory for common sense and global health and have implications for HIV and other treatments in resource-limited countries.

We include the press release from MSF in full with links to further information.

Other treatment access news includes that WHO will increase the CD4 threshold for ARV treatment to 500 cells/mm3, in the updated treatment guidelines due for release next month.

Also looking forward, next month the annual i-Base/TAG Pipeline Report for 2013 will be distributed in electronic format as a July supplement to HTB.

The publication will be formally launched at the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Kuala Lumpar from 30 June to 3 July 2013.

This is the fourth year that i-Base has been able to collaborate with the Treatment Action Group in New York to produce this comprehensive review of pipeline research into treatments and vaccines for HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis.

The collaboration include a new searchable “pipeline website” with archives from the last ten years.

HTB print distribution to BHIVA members

Please note that BHIVA members who are reading HTB electronically and who want to continue or return to reading the print edition, need to resubscribe online:

Although the British HIV Association will continue to distribute HTB to BHIVA members, this will now only be in electronic fromat.