Antiretroviral News and Research

RSS

Roche's new dual-PCR target HIV-1 viral load test receives FDA approval

Roche Molecular Diagnostics announced today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its new dual-PCR target HIV-1 viral load test to quantify the amount of virus in a patient's blood. The COBAS® AmpliPrep/COBAS® TaqMan® HIV-1 Test, v2.0 is the first quantitative viral load test to amplify and detect two separate regions of a target genome and offers a fully automated and reliable solution for physicians to make informed treatment decisions for HIV-1 patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.

4 Jun 2010

ViiV Healthcare to provide additional cost savings to cash-strapped ADAPs

AHF is pleased to report that yet another drug company: ViiV Healthcare, a new drug company formed in a partnership between GSK and Pfizer, has announced an agreement that will provide additional cost savings to cash-strapped ADAPs nationwide.

4 Jun 2010

Universal testing for HIV can do more harm than good

The idea of early detection and cure is appealing. But if the test is unreliable, and the treatment itself harmful, universal testing can do more harm than good.

3 Jun 2010

Faith-based organizations can play important role in response to HIV/AIDS in Central America: RAND study

Faith-based organizations such as churches and religious relief and development groups can play an important role in the response to HIV and AIDS in Central America, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

2 Jun 2010

Study highlights need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of HIV

Despite growing evidence that the earlier people are diagnosed with HIV and get access to care, the better their clinical outcomes, many HIV-infected people in the United States and Canada are not receiving the care they need early enough.

29 May 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Infectious Diseases Leading Edge article examines the history of the global efforts to control polio and the challenges associated with targets to globally eradicate the disease. "The eradication of polio seems imminent, but with so few cases, there is a temptation to think an acceptable level of infection has been achieved. Not so.

29 May 2010

MSF report warns of effects of international donor 'backtracking' in global fight against HIV/AIDS

"Backtracking by international donors in funding for HIV/AIDS may undermine years of progress and is already putting lives at risk," according to a report released Thursday by Medecins Sans Frontieres, Reuters reports (Kelland, 5/27).

28 May 2010

ART associated with reduced risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners, study shows

Research published in the Lancet online Thursday "provides the strongest evidence to date" that antiretroviral therapy might also be used to prevent transmission of HIV, Agence France-Presse reports. The observational study found that treating HIV-positive patients with ART reduced the risk of HIV transmission to their sexual partners by 92 percent (5/26).

28 May 2010

Use of lubricants with anal sex associated with increased risk of rectal sexually transmitted infections

The risk of acquiring HIV through unprotected anal sex is at least 20 times greater than with unprotected vaginal sex and increases if other infections are already present in the rectal lining. Could the use of lubricants - at least certain kinds - be another risk factor among men and women who engage in receptive anal intercourse? Two studies presented today at the International Microbicides Conference in Pittsburgh, suggest the answer is yes.

27 May 2010

AHF urges Obama to address growing ADAP crisis

As many states across the nation face budget and funding shortfalls that are crippling their lifesaving AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is urging President Barack Obama to redirect a portion of unspent stimulus funds in the Health and Human Services Department in order to address the growing ADAP crisis.

26 May 2010

Media outlets highlight studies presented at International Microbicides Conference

A study in Africa, presented Sunday at the International Microbicides Conference (M2010) in Pittsburgh, has shown that a man's risk of HIV infection doubles if his HIV-positive partner is pregnant, according to HealthDay News/U.S. News & World Report.

25 May 2010

New study indicates pregnancy can double HIV risk in men

Young women of reproductive-age are among those at greatest risk of acquiring HIV, and several studies have suggested that during pregnancy women are even more susceptible to infection.

24 May 2010

Research on new types of anti-HIV drugs presented at International Microbicides Conference

Researchers testing a vaginal microbicide based on a new type of anti-HIV drug found it provided monkeys significant protection against infection with a virus similar to HIV, according to a study reported at the International Microbicides Conference in Pittsburgh today.

24 May 2010

Clinical Infectious Diseases journal examines new scientific advances to curb HIV, TB epidemics

As US policymakers consider scaling back on its historic initiative to fight AIDS around the world and downsizing goals to combat tuberculosis, next-generation treatment and prevention strategies to significantly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are now imminent. New science can dramatically change the trajectory of both deadly epidemics, according to a special new issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

21 May 2010

COTI reports positive results from first phase of HIV integrase inhibitor discovery program

Critical Outcome Technologies Inc. today announced positive results from the first phase of its HIV integrase inhibitor discovery program. These results provide novel intellectual property to the Company and further validation of the CHEMSAS® drug discovery technology.

21 May 2010

Experts accelerate discovery and development of new TB drugs: Lancet article

According to a paper published today in the Lancet, there is unprecedented progress in the development of the global tuberculosis drug pipeline with 10 drug candidates currently in clinical development. The paper was written by a team of renowned international experts led by Zhenkun Ma, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for the TB Alliance, a not-for-profit organization accelerating the discovery and development of new TB drugs.

19 May 2010

AP examines HIV microbicides, prep research

"Try after try to make vaginal creams that could repel the AIDS virus have failed. Now researchers are testing if a drug used to treat HIV infection finally might give women a tool to prevent it - by infusing the medicine into vaginal gels and contraceptive-style rings," the Associated Press reports in a piece that examines researchers' latest efforts to create effective HIV microbicides, ahead of the biennial International Microbicides Conference next weekend.

19 May 2010

WHO Director-General pushes for sustained commitment to MDGs at World Health Assembly

During her opening address to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called for increased global efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports. Chan also set-up several global health challenges to be addressed during the five-day meeting, according to the news service.

19 May 2010

Low blood phosphorus levels associated with high death rates in African AIDS patients: Research

Low blood phosphorus levels are associated with high death rates in the initial weeks of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research conducted by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers at the UAB-affiliated Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

19 May 2010

GHESKIO awarded prestigious 2010 Gates Award for Global Health

GHESKIO, an institution in Haiti founded nearly three decades ago to fight a mysterious killer disease later identified as AIDS, has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Gates Award for Global Health for its years of groundbreaking clinical service, research and training to effectively treat and prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS and other related illnesses.

19 May 2010

Antiretroviral News and Research

Roche's new dual-PCR target HIV-1 viral load test receives FDA approval

ViiV Healthcare to provide additional cost savings to cash-strapped ADAPs

Universal testing for HIV can do more harm than good

Faith-based organizations can play important role in response to HIV/AIDS in Central America: RAND study

Study highlights need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of HIV

Recent releases in Global Health

MSF report warns of effects of international donor 'backtracking' in global fight against HIV/AIDS

ART associated with reduced risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners, study shows

Use of lubricants with anal sex associated with increased risk of rectal sexually transmitted infections

AHF urges Obama to address growing ADAP crisis

Media outlets highlight studies presented at International Microbicides Conference

New study indicates pregnancy can double HIV risk in men

Research on new types of anti-HIV drugs presented at International Microbicides Conference

Clinical Infectious Diseases journal examines new scientific advances to curb HIV, TB epidemics

COTI reports positive results from first phase of HIV integrase inhibitor discovery program

Experts accelerate discovery and development of new TB drugs: Lancet article

AP examines HIV microbicides, prep research

WHO Director-General pushes for sustained commitment to MDGs at World Health Assembly

Low blood phosphorus levels associated with high death rates in African AIDS patients: Research

GHESKIO awarded prestigious 2010 Gates Award for Global Health

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News