Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
POZ Magazine - September 21, 2004
Contact: Walter Armstrong, 212-242-2163 x203
New York, September 21, 2004--The federal government has banned a 40-year-old generic chemotherapy drug for the treatment of HIV, even though some doctors believe it could be a lifesaver, an investigative story in the October issue of POZ reports.
Hydroxyurea (HU), a drug that may slow HIV progression by "cooling down" an overactivated immune system and can boost the effect of HIV medications, has none of the dangerous and disfiguring side effects often experienced with more expensive anti-HIV combination therapy. But in 2003, a government panel advised doctors not to use the drug "at any time."
Now one top HIV specialist, New York City's Paul Bellman, MD, is leading a crusade to get it back on the docket, supported by an increasing body of evidence that supports the drug's potentially safe use.
"Once again the real-life treatment of needs of people with HIV come second to bureaucracy and market pressure," says POZ editor Walter Armstrong. "Until this experimental drug is given a fair shot, we won't know its full potential."
Also in POZ's October 2004 issue, on newsstands now:
* A first-person account of one man's terrifying brush with the law after lying to a hook up about being HIV-negative--from confession to cops to health codes. Plus, tips from an HIV positive therapist on how and when to disclose that you are HIV positive.
* More than half of all new HIV cases are among African Americans, but only a handful of top AIDS doctors are black. These few and proud experts are uniting to ensure their black patients are included in cutting-edge research and treatment.
POZ is the nation's leading magazine for people impacted by HIV, with a circulation of more than 150,000. You can also request an absentee ballot at POZ.com.
For further reading, please see: http://www.poz.com
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