30 July 2001

Contents

Conference reports

• 5th International Workshop on HIV Drug Resistance, 4-8 June 2001, Scottsdale, Arizona

• Anti-HIV immune responses and partial viral suppression

• HIV resistance, phenotypic drug susceptibility and viral fitness

• SWATCH – alternating antiretroviral regimens

• Structured treatments interruptions

• Importance of additional active drugs for NNRTI-naive patients using NNRTI-based salvage regimens

• NNRTI and PI drug plasma levels are as critical as drug sensitivity in achieving treatment success in antiretroviral experienced patients

• Increased prevalence of transmission of drug resistant HIV and reduced response in newly infected subjects in nine US cities

• Role of codon-69 variants in reduced susceptibility to nucleoside analogues

• Selection of zidovudine resistance in a distinct class of wild-type HIV-1 from drug naive people

• Nucleoside resistance pathways may differ between HIV-1 and HIV-2

• Role of Y318F mutation in NNRTI resistance

Antiretrovirals

• T-20: will long-term use weaken the immune system’s ability to fight HIV?

• The steady-state pharmacokinetics of efavirenz and nevirapine when used in combination in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected persons

• Ritonavir approved in Europe as pharmacokinetic enhancer for use with other antiretrovirals

Treatment access

• Abbott Labs cuts prices on many drugs, treatments amid pricing investigation

• Yale economist introduces proposal to settle debate between pharmaceutical companies and developing nations

• Kenyan lawmakers approve bill to suspend drug patent rights and improve cheaper drug access

• South African government issues first draft of legislation allowing importation of discounted pharmaceuticals

• International aid group to begin administering AIDS drugs to small group of poor South Africans

• Britain to Donate £75 million to global AIDS fund

• Uganda to offer free HIV drugs to pregnant women to prevent vertical HIV transmission

Women's health

• HIV-positive women at high risk for pre-cancerous anal lesions

Pregnancy

• Breastfeeding may increase maternal mortality among HIV-positive women, study shows

• Prevalence of the T215Y mutation in HIV type 1-infected pregnant women in a New York cohort, 1995-1999

PK and drug interactions

• A warning about milk thistle (silymarin) and drug interactions

Side effects

• Sexual dysfunction associated with protease inhibitor containing HAART

• Nevirapine use linked to icteric hepatitis in some HIV-positive patients

• Tattoos flare up from HAART

• Treatment of hyperlipidemia in HIV-positive patients

Cure-related research

• Thai officials call for cancellation of AIDS ‘miracle cure’ distribution amid controversy

Basic science and immunology

• Immunologic profile of HIV-positive patients during viral remission and relapse on antiretroviral therapy

• Impaired replication of protease inhibitor-resistant HIV-1 in human thymus

• Basis of HIV resistance suggests new vaccine strategy

• Effect of a single amino acid change in MHC class I molecules on the rate of progression to AIDS

Other news

• African advocacy groups call for dismissal of USAID director Natsios after ‘racist comments’

• Canada Reverses ban on entry of HIV-positive immigrants

• Bristol-Myers Squibb agrees to purchase DuPont’s drug business

• NEJM commemorates 20 years of AIDS with early-release retrospective

• New York’s Beth Israel Hospital making post-exposure HIV treatment available to general public

On the web

• Strategies to cut risky sexual behaviour may do more harm than good

• ABC of AIDS – HIV infection and AIDS in the developing world

• Current review on hepatitis C virus in HIV/HCV coinfection

• ABC of AIDS – antiretroviral drugs