The Washington Blade, Friday, March 28, 1997
Lisa Keen
Nelfinavir, marketed by Agouron under the trade name Viracept, is particularly important for people who have tried other protease inhibitors and run into resistance. According to reports at January's Retrovirus Conference here in D.C., nelfinavir appears to be effective against the AIDS virus even after the virus has developed resistance to the other three protease inhibitors on the market (indinavir, saquinavir, and ritonavir). However, the company noted that the potential for this "cross-resistance" is still not fully known.
Agouron says it's charging $5,650 per year -- cheaper than ritonavir and saquinavir, but more expensive than indinavir. An Agouron press release last week promised to provide nelfinavir "without charge to those patients whose need is greatest and who are least able to pay for the drug." For information on this program, patients can call the tollfree number: 1 (888) 777-6637.
Drug information provided by the company notes that the most frequent side effect with nelfinavir is diarrhea and that, because nelfinavir is metabolized primarily in the liver, it must be used with caution by patients with impaired liver functions.
Study finds risky sex meets need
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation reported this month that its study found that when most Gay and bisexual men do not use condoms they are "engaging in sexual activity ... to fulfill or solve, in an escapist-like fashion, a nonsexual need or personal difficulty." These needs, said the study, include feelings of social isolation, disappointment in love, longing for intimacy, low self-esteem, and need to affirm masculinity.
The study involved in-depth interviews with 92 men and the findings were reported at an AIDS conference in San Francisco this month.
The study also found that men who wanted to have unprotected sex tried to determine their sexual partner's HIV status, but they tended to use unreliable cues, such as the partner's appearance, cleanliness, and living conditions. Ironically, the report noted, one man interviewed presumed his partner must be HIV-infected because he kept condoms "right out there" in the open and because the man was very comfortable about using them.
The men experienced "profound difficulties in openly discussing HIV or condom use with their partners," noted the report.
In brief ...
FREE SEMINAR: An AIDS group in Annapolis is hosting a seminar to present information about the newest information on HIV treatments on Thursday, April 10, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Community Health Pavilion just east of the Annapolis Mall. For more information, call HAVEN at (410) 224-2437.
MARIJUANA: The Clinton administration told the California Medical Association last month that it is OK for doctors to "talk with patients" about any potential "treatment, substance or device," including marijuana.
According to the New York Times, the statement came in a letter from the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
NEW DIRECTORY: The American Foundation for AIDS Research announced this month the release of its latest edition of AIDS/HIV Treatment Directory. The book gives the latest details on treatment studies around the country and, this time, includes information on where to find financial help in getting medications. For more information, call AmFAR at (212) 682-7440.
DONOR VERACITY: The Journal of the American Medical Association reported this month that 1.9 percent of people who donate blood fail to disclose to the blood bank some behavior which would have caused the blood bank to reject their donation. Among the behaviors which the donors failed to report were the use of prostitutes, a history of syphilis or gonorrhea, and men having sex with men.
CATTLE CONCERNS: AIDS Treatment News reported recently that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is concerned that cattle grazing near the city's water source may be contaminating the water with cryptosporidium, a parasite which can cause illness in many and can be deadly to people with AIDS.
TRAVEL ALERT: The March issue of the Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care warns that people with HIV infection and CD4 counts below 250 should be cautious when traveling to the southwestern United States and Mexico. According to the magazine, a fungus called Coccidioides immitis which is endemic to the area can cause pneumonia to immunocompromised people, even though it is generally harmless to healthy individuals.
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