June 2008

Contents

Editorial

• Volume 9 Number 5/6 May/June 2008

Conference reports

• 14th Annual BHIVA Conference, 23-25 April 2008, Belfast

• Overview of MRC studies in 2008

• Initial results of BHIVA audit of HIV-related inpatient and day care in the UK

• Monitoring patients on antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings with viral load, CD4 count, or clinical observation alone

• Lower bilirubin increases in HCV-positive patients using atazanavir

• Cases of ventricular tachycardia and atazanavir/r and methadone

• Choice of ARVs for people after organ transplantation

• Use of fibroscan as non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy in HCV/HIV coinfection

• New-fill used to treat lipoatropy in feet

• Effect of 100mg ritonavir once- and twice-daily on lipids and cardiovascular markers in HIV-negative volunteers

• 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, 2-6 February 2008

• Immediate HAART reduces death and AIDS progression over 48 weeks in patients with acute OIs

• Utility of routine viral load, CD4 count and clinical monitoring among HIV-positive adults in rural Uganda

• Implementation of more complex regimens for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Rwanda

• The estimated cost of switching from d4T to TDF in South Africa

• Gender differences in viral load by CD4 count in men and women

• Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in young children initiating ART

• Complications with BCG vaccination in HIV-positive and negative infants: CHER Study

• The association between clinical characteristics and HIV-infection in very young infants

• Safety and efficacy of boosted darunavir in treatment-experienced children and adolescents at 24 weeks

• Responses to atazanavir-containing HAART in treatment-naive children in South Africa

• Initial growth, CD4, and viral load responses to HAART in Ugandan compared to UK/Irish HIV-positive children

• Paediatric pharmacokinetic studies

• A pilot study of three treatment strategies for HIV-positive infants

Antiretrovirals

• Tibotec issue Dear Doctor letter and FDA require darunavir label change relating to hepatotoxicity

• Atazanavir 300mg capsule available

• Raltegravir approved in Scotland

• Abacavir, ddI and risk of heart attack: additional published data and statements from the EMEA and FDA

Treatment access

• Key patient safety concern removed in new FDA guidance for non-US trials

• FDA approval of generic ARVs

Paediatric care

• US paediatric guidelines updated (2008)

• New paediatric dosing recommendations for atazanavir

Basic science and immunology

• Understanding control of HIV replication in the absence of therapy

• A surreal, deeply troubling week for AIDS vaccine research

BHIVA news

• Draft BHIVA treatment guidelines online for comment

Other news

• IAS calls for immediate release of Chinese activist

• Thailand’s war on drugs will undermine national AIDS fight and human rights: police given licence to kill drug users

• Activists criticise AIDS conference on opening day: Russian ban on substitution drug treatment is an ‘Iron Curtain’ to ARV treatment

• Opportunities for healthcare workers to volunteer overseas

On the web

• Conference reports and abstracts: 9th International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of HIV Therapy and 6th European HIV Drug Resistance Workshop

• New UK support group for gay men with HIV/HCV coinfection

• HCV pipeline report

• IHRD Harm Reduction Report

• TB – Online medical resources

• Metabolic and Immune Activation Effects of Treatment Interruption in Chronic HIV-1 Infection: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk

PDFs

• Volume 9 Number 5/6 May/June 2008 PDF