March 2001

Contents

Conference reports

• 8th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, February 4-8 2001, Chicago, USA

• From talk to action in fighting AIDS in the developing countries: 8th Retrovirus Conference opening session

• Differentiating within and between drug classes: sometimes it’s toxicity, sometimes its efficacy

• Intermittent versus continuous HAART

• Viral load “blips” and eventual rebound

• Interaction between garlic and saquinavir and underreporting of alternative treatment use

• Solid organ transplant in HIV/hepatitis co-infected patients

• HIV and women – overview

• Update on HIV drug resistance

• Update and review of bone studies

• Treatment interruptions, structured and unplanned, immunotherapy and what’s in store

• Primary infection and treatment issues

Antiretrovirals

• Drugs need not be stopped because of neutropenia in HIV-positive patients

• Capravirine clinical trials restricted: additional safety evaluation required

• Gilead announces start of early access program for investigational anti-HIV agent tenofovir DF in United States and France

Treatment access

• UNAIDS calls for new deal between pharmaceutical companies and society

• US trade action threatens Brazilian AIDS programme

• Brazil may flout trade laws to keep AIDS drugs free for patients

• Roche open to discuss patent rights of AIDS drug with Brazil

• Crusading Indian firm takes on might of Glaxo SmithKline: Cipla offers anti-HIV drugs at a fraction of rivals’ prices

• GSK to review drug pricing policy: pharmaceuticals giant reacts to criticism over costs to poor countries

• Oxfam launches stinging attack on drug industry over cheap medicines ban

• Companies weigh offer of royalties for AIDS drugs aimed at Africa

Women's health

• Seroconversion in Kenyan sex-workers linked with reduced HIV-specific immune response

• Prevalence and correlates of anaemia in a large cohort of HIV-positive women

• Lactic acidosis in pregnant women receiving d4T (stavudine) and ddI (didanosine): EMEA issue statement

• Anal HPV infection common in HIV positive and high-risk HIV negative women

Pregnancy

• US perinatal treatment guidelines updated

Paediatric care

• Effective antiretroviral therapy resolves HIV organ-specific complications in 3 children

Guidelines

• First European guidelines for HIV-1 drug resistance testing (2001)

• US HIV treatment guidelines updated for adults and adolescents (March 2001)

Side effects

• HIV-related fatigue relieved by psychostimulants

• Studies underway on metabolic side effects of antiretrovirals

• Plasma cysteine deficiency and decreased reduction of nitrososulfa-methoxazole with HIV Infection

Other news

• UK to start trials of new cervical cancer vaccine

• Mortality from liver disease increasing in HIV-positive patients

PDFs

• Volume 2 Number 2 March 2001 PDF