13 November 2002

Contents

Treatment alerts

• New safety information for ddI used with ribavirin

• US FDA issues new safety information for tenofovir co-administration with ddI

Conference reports

• 42nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), San Diego, 27-30 September 2002

• Immunology and treatment interruption data presented at the 42nd ICAAC

• Treatment interruptions may result in poor T-cell recovery in patients with nadir CD+ count <50 cells/mm3

• Treatment interruptions are safe in patients with CD4+ count between 300 to 500 cells/mm3 and viral loads lower than 70,000 copies/mL

• Topical transdermal testosterone gel offers significant clinical benefits in hypogonadal HIV-positive patients

• BMS experimental PI atazanavir shows potency comparable to NNRTI efavirenz among treatment-naïve HIV patients

• Adverse drug reactions and lipodystrophy in children

• Study suggests Kaletra/Combivir is better tolerated PEP than Combivir/nelfinavir

• Novel approaches to the inhibition of HIV

• Lipodystrophy and adverse drug reaction data presented at the 42nd ICAAC

• 4th International Workshop on Drug Reactions and Lipodystrophy in HIV Infection, San Diego, 22-25 September 2002

• Leptin, lipodystrophy and insulin resistance

• A range of treatments for facial lipoatrophy

• Autopsy evidence confirms that ARVs tackle CNS lesions

Antiretrovirals

• New evidence favours routine measurement of plasma concentrations in salvage therapy to maintain sustained drug levels

• European Commission approves new boosted saquinavir regimen (1000 mg saquinavir/100 mg ritonavir twice daily) for the treatment of HIV-1

Treatment access

• Profiteers undermine preferential pricing and make millions diverting cheap drugs sent to Africa

• Activists win court battle in campaign for generic production of ddI

• Global AIDS fund facing bankruptcy

Women's health

• HAART enhances regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-seropositive women

PK and drug interactions

• Milk thistle can reduce levels of indinavir in the blood

Side effects

• Tamoxifen for male breast enlargement?

• Diet can help reduce lipid levels in people with HAART-related dyslipemia

Coinfections and complications

• Intestinal worm eradication lowers viral load in HIV-positive patients

Basic science and immunology

• Study shows why some immune systems can control HIV through CD8 cells

• PPAR agonists inhibit HIV replication and TNF-alpha production

• Many HIV-infected CD4 cells are HIV-specific in patients on HAART

Other news

• The Children’s HIV Association of the UK and Ireland – CHIVA

• Highlights of the autumn CHIVA meeting

• Multivitamins limit HIV transmission through breastfeeding for some women

• Prison health services will be taken over by the NHS from next year

On the web

• Diagnosis and management of hepatitis C

• HIV-1-associated dementia: a basic science and clinical perspective

• Clinicians debate antiretroviral tactics and toxicities, resistance testing, and hepatitis virus coinfection