July 2020

Contents

Editorial

• HTB: no. 9 – HIV and COVID-19: issue 6 (22 July 2020)

Conference reports

• IAS COVID-19 Conference: introduction

• Conference opening and making sense of the science

• HepC drugs for COVID-19: sofosbuvir/daclatasvir show faster recovery and reduced mortality

• Predictors of response to remdesivir in GS-5773 COVID-19 study

• AIDS 2020 online: introduction

• AIDS 2020: Navigating the website

• Neural tube defects in two of 1000 conception exposures with dolutegravir: reassuring update from Tsepamo study

• Dolutegravir associated with weight gain in African ART programmes: findings from AFRICOS 

• ADVANCE 96-week results: dolutegravir weight gain continues, especially in women and when used with TAF – no evidence of a plateau

• Obesity linked to dolutegravir, especially with TAF, could increase risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes

• Pregnancy meta-analysis: dolutegravir- versus efavirenz-based ART

• Long-acting cabotegravir injections are effective as HIV PrEP in gay men and transgender women: results from HPTN 083

• Case report of short-term HIV remission from adding oral nicotinamide to intensified ART

• New HIV remission case report at AIDS 2020: full report

Antiretrovirals

• FDA approves fostemsavir (Rukobia) for multidrug resistant HIV in the US

HIV prevention and transmission

• UK government cuts HIV PrEP budget in England by a third

On the web

• BHIVA virtual conference: Best of CROI and COVID-19 update

• Access and procurement to ARVs in the Russian federation

COVID-19: HIV and COVID-19 coinfection

• Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) mistaken for COVID-19 in late stage undiagnosed: urgency of including HIV testing on admission

• NYC cohort reports similar outcomes from COVID-19 in HIV positive vs HIV negative adults

• Spanish study reports associations between COVID-19 and HIV treatment including NRTIs

• Review of COVID-19 in people with immune suppression

COVID-19: vaccine research

• Vaccine candidates report phase 3 studies after early safety and immune responses in phase 1/2 studies

• FDA guidance on COVID-19 vaccine includes minimal target of 50% efficacy

COVID-19: treatment access

• Drug price announced for remdesivir – as US buys up world stock

COVID-19: investigational drugs

• UK study reports inhaled interferon-Beta reduces time to recovery from COVID-19

• EMA grants conditional approval for remdesivir in the EU to treat COVID-19

• RECOVERY study reports that lopinavir/r fails to show benefit against COVID-19

• Hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/r arms stopped in the WHO SOLIDARITY study

• Individualising management of COVID-19 based on real-time inflammatory responses

• Further positive reports from tocilizumab to treat COVID-19

COVID-19: pathogenesis

• Higher mortality from COVID-19 in London study in Asian or Black compared to white participants

• UK study reports antibody responses linked to more severe COVID-19 in higher risk populations

COVID-19: transmission & prevention

• Infectious SARS-CoV-2 in air and on surfaces in London hospitals

• US prisoners have higher mortality rates from COVID-19

• US SARS-CoV-2 epidemic could see 100,000 cases per day: NIAID head Anthony Fauci to Senate hearing

COVID-19: research studies

• Research during COVID-19

COVID-19: diagnostics

• Leading SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests meet specificity but fail current sensitivity guidelines

PDFs

• HTB no 9 – plus: HIV and COVID-19 bulletin no 6 (22 July 2020)