December, 2009 |
| (12/29) New HIV/AIDS study findings recently were published by D.P. Kidder and co-researchers |
In this recent article published in the Jaids - Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, scientists in the United States conducted a study "To compare drug. alcohol, and sexual HIV transmission risk behaviors of homeless and housed people living with HIV/AIDS. Data were from 8075 respondents in a cross-sectional. multisite behavioral survey of adults recently reported to have HIV infection."
"At interview, 310 respondents (4%) were homeless. Compared with homeless respondents, housed respondents were more likely to be sexually active (past 12 months). However, sexually active homeless respondents had more sex partners (lifetime and past 12 months), greater sex exchange for money or drugs (lifetime and past 12 months). and greater unprotected vaginal or anal sex with an unknown serostatus partner. Homeless respondents were more likely to have possible alcohol abuse (lifetime), used drugs (last 12 months), and injected drugs (lifetime and past 12 months). After controlling for potential confounding variables, housing status remained a significant predictor of number of sex partners (past 12 months). sex exchange (lifetime and past 12 months), unprotected sex with unknown status partner. and all drug and alcohol use variables. Homeless people living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to have ever or recently engaged in substance use and HIV transmission risk behaviors,! " wrote D.P. Kidder and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "Findings underscore the need to provide HIV prevention services to homeless persons and address their housing needs." Kidder and colleagues published their study in Jaids - Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (Housing Status and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Homeless and Housed Persons With HIV. Jaids - Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2008;49(4):451-455).
~News RX.com - 12/28/2008
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| (12/29) New hepatitis C virus quality of care study results reported from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University |
Current study results from the report, 'Deterioration of health-related quality of life and fatigue in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Association with demographic factors, inflammatory activity, and degree of fibrosis,' have been published. "Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is impaired in patients with chronic hepatitis C. We investigated HRQoL and fatigue in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in relation to the degree of fibrosis and inflammation, and controlled for the influence of relevant demographic and medical variables," scientists in Frankfurt, Germany report.
"We conducted a cross-sectional two-center study including 215 outpatients with chronic hepatitis C applying the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS-D). The contribution to the variability of these psychometric scores was evaluated for the degree of fibrosis as well as viremia, gender, age, mode of transmission, genotype, and ALT. There was a strong negative association between the degree of liver fibrosis and the physical SF-36 summary score (p=0.016). This was independent of the covariate age, also significantly predicting physical HRQoL (p=0.001). The absolute FIS score was significantly increased in patients with advanced fibrosis (p=0.043). In females, mental SF-36 summary score (p=0.007) and fatigue (p=0.017) were significantly more impaired. Our study suggests a significant association of physical aspects of HRQoL and fatigue with the extent of fibrosis," wrote G. Teuber and colleagues, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.
~HCV Advocate - 12/29/2008 |
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May, 2009 |
| (05/23) HIV Policy: The Path Forward—A Joint Position Paper of the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American College of Physicians |
Executive Summary: The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have jointly published 3 policy statements on AIDS, the first in 1986 [1], the second in 1988 [2], and the third in 1994 [3]. In 2001, the IDSA created the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), and this updated policy paper is a collaboration between the ACP and the HIVMA of the IDSA. Since the last statement, many new developments call for the need to reexamine and update our policies relating to HIV infection. First, there have been major advances in treatment for HIV infection that have transformed HIV/AIDS from a terminal illness to a chronic disease for many of those who have access to potent therapies and expert medical care [4]. Second, there has been a profound expansion and intensification of the global HIV pandemic, particularly in sub‐Saharan Africa, coupled with significant US leadership and resources aimed at providing prevention and care services to affected populations in developing countries. Third, the concerns that were prevalent in the mid‐1990s regarding the possibility of HIV transmission in health care settings have ultimately proven to be unfounded as the result of the adoption of universal precautions in those settings ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/23/2009 |
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| (05/19) L.A. County Restores Funding for Vital AIDS Medical Services |
After Innovative Online Grassroots Advocacy Led by AHF, L.A. County Commission on HIV Votes to Restore Over $1M in Funding that Provides Direct HIV/AIDS Medical Care—Including Lifesaving AIDS Drugs—to Some of L.A.’s Most Vulnerable Citizens. County Will Use Part of $2.5 Million in Additional Federal Ryan White CARE Act Funds to Avert Cuts; L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors to Vote Tuesday to Confirm Restoration of Funds ...(continued)
~AIDS Healthcare Foundation - 05/19/2009 |
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| (05/17) Gilead Initiates Phase II Clinical Trial of Integrase-Based, Single-Tablet, Once-Daily Regimen for the Treatment of HIV |
FOSTER CITY, Calif.- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase II clinical trial of its investigational integrase-based, single-tablet, once-daily regimen of elvitegravir, GS 9350 and Truvada® (emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. GS 9350 is an investigational compound being developed as a pharmacoenhancing or “boosting” agent to increase blood levels and allow once-daily dosing for certain medicines, including Gilead’s investigational HIV integrase inhibitor, elvitegravir. The Phase II study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the regimen compared to once-daily Atripla® (efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg). The study will enroll 75 HIV-1 infected, antiretroviral treatment-naïve adults across approximately 50 investigative sites in the United States ...(continued)
~Gilead Sciences - 05/17/2009 |
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| (05/17) Shortage of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Drugs in Ugandan District Could Lead to Treatment Interruption, Drug Resistance |
A shortage of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria medications in Uganda's northern Gulu district could cause patients to interrupt treatment and lead to drug resistance, Paul Onek, Gulu director of health services, said recently, IRIN/PlusNews reports. According to IRIN/PlusNews, inadequate management of the country's drug supply regularly causes shortages ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/17/2009 |
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| (05/15) NYC’s Frieden Brings ‘Real World Experience Fighting AIDS’ to CDC |
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest non-profit HIV/AIDS organization in the US which currently provides medical care and services to more than 100,000 individuals in 21 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia, and which has been critical of President Obama’s silence on AIDS throughout his first hundred days, today lauded the President’s appointment of New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden as head of the Centers for Disease Control ...(continued)
~AIDS Healthcare Foundation - 05/15/2009 |
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| (05/01) Disability & Benefits: Government Plans Updated for 2009 |
Social Security and Medicare revise their benefits at the beginning of each year to update the programs for inflation. Some numbers are based on the Federal Poverty Level table which does not come out until April of each year. For 2009, they have applied an inflation factor of 5.8%. which is the highest in several years. Those of you who are collecting Social Security benefits, either disability, retirement or spouse & children benefits should have already received a letter announcing the amount of your benefit for 2009. There are other numbers that change as well due to this inflation adjustment. Below is a quick rundown of the numbers affecting people on or considering Social Security Disability or Retirement ...(continued)
~HCV advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Treatment of Acute and Early Hepatitis C |
In the March 1, 2009 Clinical Infectious Diseases, G. Matthews and colleagues reported findings from the Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC), looking at the natural history and treatment of acute and early chronic HCV infection. The analysis included 103 participants – 76 HIV negative and 27 HIV positive – who had a first positive HCV antibody test within six months prior to enrollment and either clinical hepatitis diagnosed within the past year or documented HCV antibody seroconversion within the past two years ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Nitazoxanide for Chronic Hepatitis C |
Nitazoxanide (Alinia) is an anti-infective agent with activity against a variety of protozoa, bacteria, and viruses; nitazoxanide and its active metabolite, tizoxanide, have been shown to potently inhibit HCV replication in laboratory studies. In the March 2009 Gastroenterology, a research team led by J.-F. Rossignol from the Romark Institute described results from STEALTH-C1, a study of nitazoxanide prior to pegylated interferon/ribavirin in previously untreated genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C patients in Egypt. Forty participants were randomly assigned to receive the standard-of-care regimen of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) plus 1000-1200 mg/day weight-adjusted ribavirin for 48 weeks, 28 patients received 500 mg twice-daily nitazoxanide monotherapy for 12 weeks followed by a dual combination of nitazoxanide plus Pegasys (without ribavirin) for 36 more weeks, and 28 received nitazoxanide monotherapy for 12 weeks followed by a triple combination of nitazoxanide, Pegasys, and ribavirin for 36 weeks ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Can-Fite BioPharma To Initiate Phase I/II Clinical Trial With CF102 For The Treatment Of Liver Cancer |
Can-Fite BioPharma (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange announced that, following the approval by the Israel Ministry of Health and Rabin MC Ethics Committee, a phase I/II clinical trial with CF102 for the treatment of liver cancer will now start enrolling patients. The trial will investigate the safety and efficacy of CF102 in patients with liver cancer. This ascending-dose trial will be conducted at the Rabin Medical Center and include up to 40 patients ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Summaries For Patients: Re-treating Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Who Have Not Responded to Peginterferon-2b |
Hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This disease is transmitted primarily by blood-to-blood contact. Risk factors include body piercing, intravenous drug use, and needlestick accidents. Most people cannot get rid of HCV on their own. More than 80% keep the virus in their blood for longer than 6 months and get chronic hepatitis C ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Biolex Therapeutics Commences Phase 2B Trial Of Locteron(R) In Chronic Hepatitis C |
Biolex Therapeutics, Inc. announced the commencement of patient dosing in the SELECT-2 Phase 2b trial of its lead product candidate Locteron for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Locteron, controlled-release interferon alpha 2b, is designed to improve patient care by providing a more convenient once-every-two week dosing schedule and by reducing the side effects associated with pegylated interferons, the current standard of care, including flu-like symptoms. The Company also announced that the preliminary results of the recently completed United States Phase 2a Locteron trial ("PLUS" trial) will be presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) April 24, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) INFORM-1 Clinical Trial Amended To Further Explore Promising Direct Antiviral Regimen In HCV Patients |
InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) announced that the innovative clinical study of protease inhibitor ITMN-191 (R7227) in combination with nucleoside polymerase inhibitor R7128 (Roche/Pharmasset), referred to as the INFORM-1 study, has been successfully amended to include additional cohorts to explore the combination in treatment-experienced and null responder HCV patients. In addition, the amended protocol now includes the administration of twice-daily and higher-dose regimens of ITMN-191 in combination with R7128 in treatment-naive patients ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) ImQuest BioSciences Receives Phase I SBIR Grant To Develop A Novel Hepatitis C Virus Therapeutic Agent |
ImQuest BioSciences and Arisyn Therapeutics jointly announced the successful acquisition of funding from the National Institutes of Health to support the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. ImQuest scientists will investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanism of action of ATI-0810 (Formerly PG301029) and a series of related chemical compounds. PG301029 is a highly novel transcriptional inhibitor of HCV replication, yielding a significant reduction of viral RNA synthesis in infected cells, and laboratory studies have demonstrated the compound to be less toxic and more active than the FDA approved agent ribavirin. Preliminary in vivo toxicology studies indicate that the compound is well tolerated and has a pharmacokinetic profile appropriate for drug development. The ImQuest research team will be led by Principal Investigator Todd B. Parsley, Ph.D., Director of Hepatitis Virus Research. The funded studies will permit ImQuest to define other potent transcriptional inhibitors of HCV, investigate the mechanism of action of the active molecules and provide additional rationale for the development of a combination anti-HCV therapy using the lead molecules ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Vitamin K may boost effects of cancer pill Nexavar |
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Vitamin K may enhance the effects of the cancer drug Nexavar, which may allow patients to take lower, less-toxic doses, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. They said combining vitamin K with the cancer pill Nexavar or sorafenib sold by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc and German drugmaker Bayer AG helped it kill liver and pancreatic cancer in human cell cultures. "K vitamins ... appear to enhance the effects of sorafenib, thus requiring lower, less-toxic doses," Dr. Brian Carr of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia said in a statement ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Tougher rules planned for N.L. MDs infected with HIV, hepatitis |
Doctors in Newfoundland and Labrador who have particular infectious diseases may soon be limited in the procedures they can perform on patients. Physicians who contract HIV or hepatitis will also be required to notify the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, if proposed changes are adopted ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) LVADs can cause false-positive HCV-antibody tests, diligent follow-up testing urged to preserve transplant eligibility |
Paris, France - Someone awaiting heart transplantation who is fitted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) may be at increased risk of falsely testing positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, according to a study that included only a handful of patients but highlights the importance of more definitive follow-up testing to confirm or, preferably, rule out HCV infection ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) RNA Test To Detect HIV During Acute, Primary Phase Not Widely Used, New York Times Reports |
The New York Times on Friday examined an HIV blood test, which seeks out bits of the virus' RNA and can identify infections during the acute or primary phase. Standard rapid tests, which detect HIV antibodies, can provide immediate results but are not likely to identify an infection that has occurred in the past month. The RNA tests, which can identify infections in one week to 10 days, are able to detect infections in the early stages, when HIV is replicating but the immune system has not mounted a response. According to the Times, although many health officials and HIV/AIDS experts see detecting newly infected HIV-positive people as an "important next step in controlling the spread of HIV," the RNA test, the "only one capable of detecting the newest infections, has not been widely adopted for this purpose' ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/01/2009 |
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| (05/01) Early HAART Initiation Improves Vaccine Response Among HIV-Positive Children, Study Says |
HIV-positive infants who begin treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy within the first year of life can develop normal immune responses to childhood vaccines, according to a study published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Reuters Health reports. Vaccines function by stimulating the production of antibodies for a particular disease, but HIV causes a decline in these antibody-producing cells and therefore reduces immunity. Prior to the new study, researchers were unsure whether the timing of HAART initiation could help preserve these cells and promote normal immune responses to vaccines among children ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/01/2009 |
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