1998

U.S. Court Reaffirms Disability Law Applies To HIV: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday December 30, 1998; Leslie Gevirtz; BOSTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court has again found that it is illegal for a dentist to refuse to treat a patient with the AIDS virus. The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, in a swift and unanimous, 11-page ruling that was made public Wednesday, said that the use of so-called universal precautions rendered the ris
Most With HIV In U.S. Get No Standard Care - Study: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 24, 1998; Gene Emery; BOSTON (Reuters) - Most of the people in the United States infected with the AIDS virus are not receiving regular medical treatment, Thursday s New England Journal of Medicine reports. Based on interviews with 2,864 HIV-infected patients in a nationwide survey done in early 1996, the research concludes that the cost of
DuPont says HIV drug added to state programs: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday December 22, 1998; WILMINGTON, Del., Dec 22 (Reuters) - DuPont Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its HIV drug, Sustiva , had been added to the list of medications used by the New York and California AIDS drugs assistance programs. DuPont Pharmaceuticals, the drug unit of the industrial giant DuPont, also said the Texas HIV Medications Ad
Four Die, 35 Sickened In U.S. From Listeriosis - USDA: Reuters NewMedia - Friday December 18, 1998; Barbara Hagenbaugh; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating an outbreak of listeriosis that has killed four people and sickened more than 35 others, a USDA official said Thursday. The official said the illnesses have been reported in eight states: New York, Ohio, Tenness
FOCUS-Glaxo adds to AIDS armoury: Reuters NewMedia - Friday December 18, 1998; Jonathan Birt; LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Britain s Glaxo Wellcome Plc hoped to strengthen its leading position in anti-HIV treatment on Friday with the approval in the United States of a new AIDS drug, Ziagen . Glaxo said the new treatment, which helps block the AIDS virus from replicati
Glimmer Of Hope To Restore Damage Immune Systems: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 17, 1998; Patricia Reaney; LONDON (Reuters) - A small gland that lies just above the heart could be the key to restoring the immune systems of patients with the HIV virus, researchers said Wednesday. Scientists had thought the thymus gland, which produces vital T-cells to fight infections, lost most of its function along with its size as people
Pharmacia HIV drug may allow easier dosing regimen: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday December 16, 1998; BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Dec 16 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical company Pharmacia & Upjohn (NYSE:PNU - news) on Wednesday said its HIV drug, when used with other HIV drugs, may permit a reduction in dosing with protease inhibitors , and a simpler dosing schedule. Protease inhibitors are potent drugs used to fight HIV inf
Urine test shows hidden HIV infection: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 3, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A new urine test has found some people have evidence of infection with the AIDS virus in their urine even though their blood shows no sign of infection, researchers said on Thursday. The team at Clinical Reference Laboratory (CRL) said one out of every 1,000 people they tested showed antib
Gene speeds up progression to AIDS, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 3, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Up to 13 percent of Americans carry genes that could make them succumb to AIDS especially quickly if infected, researchers said on Thursday. The gene variant can make people progress from HIV infection to full-blown AIDS two years sooner than normal, the researchers at the National Cancer
Noise And Silence Greet World AIDS Day: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday December 1, 1998; LONDON (Reuters) - Campaigners marked World AIDS Day Tuesday with hundreds of marches and meetings aimed at ramming home the fact that every minute of the year 11 people contract the deadly HIV virus. President Clinton will mark World AIDS Day by announcing increased funding for vaccine research and new money to help f
Ignorance Puts China On Verge Of AIDS Explosion: Reuters NewMedia - Monday November 30, 1998; Christiaan Virant; BEIJING (Reuters) - China is on the verge of a devastating AIDS epidemic, fueled by ignorance about the HIV virus and a rise in intravenous drug use, experts said Monday. Speaking on the eve of World AIDS Day, disease specialists from China and abroad added that the growth of prostitution also threatened to spread HIV
Group Accelerates Search For AIDS Vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - Sunday November 29, 1998; Patricia Reaney; LONDON (Reuters) - An international group devoted to finding an effective AIDS vaccine Thursday launched two research and development partnerships to speed up the search. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a New York-based independent non-profit organization, said it was investing $9.1 million in two res
Harvard scientists "see" how HIV resists drugs: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday November 26, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Scientists said on Thursday they had been able to see the changes that let the AIDS virus become resistant to drugs and hope their images can help drug companies develop better ways to attack the virus. Stephen Harrison and colleagues at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Harvard Univ
Harvard scientists "see" how HIV resists drugs: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday November 26, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Scientists said on Thursday they had been able to see the changes that let the AIDS virus become resistant to drugs and hope their images can help drug companies develop better ways to attack the virus. Stephen Harrison and colleagues at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Harvard Univ
Global HIV Cases Up 10 Percent In 1998 - AIDS Report: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday November 25, 1998; Patricia Reaney; LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly 20 years into the AIDS epidemic and despite promising new drugs and improved prevention, global HIV infections rose 10 percent in 1998 and half of the new cases were in young people under 24. Every minute of the year 11 men, women and children contracted the deadly virus that causes AIDS, brin
China At Crossroads In Fight Against Disease: WHO: Reuters NewMedia - Monday November 23, 1998; Christiaan Virant; BEIJING (Reuters) - China has reached a crossroads in its public health development and faces an uphill battle against communicable diseases, HIV and tobacco, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday. In a speech to students and administrators at Beijing Medical University, director-general Gro Har
Boehringer's HIV drug gets U.S. nod for pediatics: Reuters NewMedia - Monday November 23, 1998; COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Roxane Laboratories , a Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH company, said Monday that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a pediatric formulation of the AIDS drug Viramune to treat infants a
New AIDS drug fuels hopes, but big doubts remain: Reuters NewMedia - Monday November 23, 1998; Elizabeth Smith; NEW YORK, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Medical researchers are excited about a new AIDS drug that attacks the HIV virus before it infects healthy cells, but whether the drug ever becomes a practical therapy for patients remains an open question. T-20, which was developed by Durham, N.C.-based Trimeris Inc. (Nasdaq:TRMS - news),
Eighty Swedish Women Tested For HIV,Suspect Sought: Reuters NewMedia - Friday October 23, 1998; Abigail Schmelz; STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Eighty worried Swedish women had been tested for the AIDS virus by Friday as police hunted a promiscuous carrier of the disease who is believed to have had sex with more than 100 women. Police were focusing their search for the suspect, who they said was probably an Iranian citizen living under a
HIV Patient Volunteers To Go Off Drugs: Reuters NewMedia, Wednesday October 21, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A man with the AIDS virus has volunteered to go off his life-saving drug cocktail in the first formal trial of whether HIV-positive patients can safely quit taking drugs, doctors said Monday. The multi-drug combination has been shown to suppress the virus to nearly undetectable levels, but once p
Huge cache of illegal blood seized: Reuters NewMedia - Friday October 9, 1998; BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in China have seized 1.5 tons of illegally collected blood and arrested 11 suspected blood dealers, an edition of the Procuratorial Daily seen on Friday said. Police raided a farmer s house in the central province of Hunan and nabbed 13 suspects and 3,000 half-liter (17 ounce) blood bags, the
Antibody protects against HIV in chimps--company: Reuters NewMedia - Friday October 9, 1998; HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Oct. 9 (Reuters) - United Biomedical Inc. said Friday it had developed a monoclonal antibody, called B4, that appears able to protect chimpanzees from HIV infection even when the antibody is administered several hours after HIV exposure. The results are based on a six-month study aimed at determining p
Death rate in U.S. drops, AIDS off top 10: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday October 7, 10:02 pm Eastern Time; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - AIDS is no longer one of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States , thanks mostly to multidrug cocktails that keep the virus suppressed, the U.S. government said on Wednesday. The infant mortality rate and the murder rate are also at a new low, the report from the National Cente
FDA panel recommends HIV drug for hepatitis: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday October 6, 1998; SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct 6 (Reuters) - Doctors who advise the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) recommended on Tuesday that the agency approve a drug used against the AIDS virus to fight hepatitis B as well. The drug, Epivir , would be the first pill that people could take for hepatitis B, which infects an es
CEL-SCI says AIDS vaccine effective in mice: Reuters NewMedia - Monday October 5, 1998; VIENNA, Va., Oct 5 (Reuters) - CEL-SCI Corp. (AMEX:HIV - news) said Monday its AIDS vaccine appeared to have given lab mice protection against the deadly HIV virus in the latest series of tests on the efficacy of the vaccine. CEL-SCI, which develops treatments for diseases that attack the immune system, said in a state
Tests show how children do on AIDS drugs - study: Reuters NewMedia - Friday October 2, 1998; WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - A battery of four tests given to children right after they start on HIV drugs can show within a week how well they will respond to the treatment, researchers said on Friday. The tests could potentially save months wasted on drugs that might not work, the researchers said. Dr. Brigitta Muel
Once-dreaded Thalidomide hits U.S. market: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday October 1, 1998; WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Thalidomide, a drug once dreaded for causing severe birth defects but now the source of great hope for treating diseases ranging from cancer to AIDS, hit the market in the United States on Thursday. Celgene Corp., (Nasdaq:CELG - news) which won Food and Drug Administration (
Calif. Makes It Crime To Knowingly Pass AIDS Virus: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday October 1, 1998; SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California Gov. Pete Wilson signed legislation Wednesday making it a felony to knowingly expose an unaware person to the HIV virus, which causes AIDS through sexual contact. It s a tragedy that so many people contract the HIV virus, Wilson said. An equal tragedy is when HIV-infected indiv
Lower-dose regimen works for protease inhibitor: Reuters NewMedia - Friday September 25, 1998; LOS ANGELES, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Drugmakers Agouron (Vancouver:AA.V - news) said on Friday they may be able to help patients with the AIDS virus simplify their complex pill regimens by having them take two daily doses of the protease inhibitor Viracept instead of normal three.
Mutation delays progress of HIV infection - study: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday September 23, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. government researchers said on Wednesday they had found another genetic mutation that could delay the progression of HIV infection into AIDS. They said nearly a third of African-Americans had the mutation, which slows the progression from HIV infection to full-blown AIDS by an avera
US FDA cites Epitope for HIV test manufacturing violation: PRNewswire - Tuesday September 22, 1998; ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) on Tuesday accused Epitope Inc. of paperwork and quality control violations related to manufacturing and distribution of its OraSure HIV testing system. The agency inspected Epitope s Beaverton, Ore. facility in April, and said that the c
Glaxo Wellcome making HIV drug available: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday September 21, 1998; RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept 21 (Reuters) - Glaxo Wellcome Inc. said Monday it will make the investigational anti-HIV protease inhibitor Agenerase , or amprenavir , available under an early access program.
AIDS drug production problem persists at Abbott: Reuters NewMedia - Friday September 18, 1998; CHICAGO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - No solution has been found to a problem on the production line for capsules of the anti-AIDS drug Norvir and supplies will run out within the next month, said manufacturer Abbott Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:ABT - news) on Friday. Some of the roughly 60,000 HIV-infected patients who had be
Dupont Says AIDS Drug To Simplify Treatment: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday September 18, 1998; Ransdell Pierson; NEW YORK (Reuters) - DuPont Pharmaceuticals said Friday it had won U.S. marketing approval for Sustiva , the first once-a-day drug to treat the virus that causes AIDS, predicting it would transform and simplify HIV treatment. Sustiva, a so-called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, was approved late Thursda
DuPont Says FDA OKs One-Dose-A-Day HIV Drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday September 18, 1998; WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - DuPont Pharmaceuticals said Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Sustiva , a one-dose-a-day drug to treat the virus that causes AIDS. Although in recent years new HIV drugs have helped reduce the disease from a certain death sentence into a chronic condition, the number of
U.S. Says Fewer High School Students Having Sex: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday September 17, 1998; Mike Cooper; ATLANTA (Reuters) - The percentage of high school students who have had sexual intercourse has declined 11 percent during the 1990s after two decades of increases, federal health officials said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the percentage of sexually experienced students in grades
More than 100 new drugs in works to fight infection: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday September 14, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - More than 100 new drugs are in the works to fight infections by bacteria, viruses and fungi -- but people have to realize no drug is ever a magic bullet against microbes, a drug manufacturer s group said on Monday. The drugs range from new compounds designed to fight superbugs that have
Merck cancels a HIV protease inhibitor test: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday September 18, 1998; WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sept 18 (Reuters) - Merck & Co. Inc. said Friday it had discontinued the evaluation of twice-daily dosing regimens of its HIV protease inhibitor, Crixivan , in combination with reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Merck recommends that patients in the twice-daily dosing arms in these stud
U.S. Bioscience to test AIDS drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday September 10, 1998; WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. Sept 10 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical company U.S. Bioscience Inc. on Thursday said its investigational new drug application for lodenosine, a drug to treat patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to proceed to clinical trials.
Transsexuals forced into risky business - study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday, September 10, 1998; Jim Loney; MIAMI (Reuters) - Society s rejection of transsexuals and transvestites forces them into the sex trade, where they risk becoming victims of violence and AIDS, according to a University of Florida study released Thursday. The study of Miami male transsexuals found they were often rejected by their families at an early a
Condom vending machines a hit: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday September 9, 1998; SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - China s first condom vending machines in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen have been such a hit that the experiment will be extended to other cities, the China Daily reported on Wednesday. Each of the 50 machines owned and installed by a Hong Kong sex pro
Study: Drug Treatment Works, Should Be Funded: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday September 9, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treatment for drug abusers works, is cheaper and more effective than jail, and should receive more funding, a report released Wednesday shows. The report, timed to coincide with the final budget battles in Congress, is the first long-term look at whether treatment for substance abuse works. It
FEATURE - Egypt's AIDS patients suffer social stigma: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.;; Sara el-Khalili; CAIRO, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Life changed dramatically for the 35-year-old Egyptian when he found out three years ago that he had caught the AIDS virus after having sex with a foreign woman. He was kicked out of his house by his brothers and lost his job as a janitor at a Cairo hotel. My mother and I have nowhere to stay.
U.S. film's tying of Haiti to AIDS stirs protests: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday September 4, 1998; Anna Wardenburg; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - A hit U.S. movie that links Haiti with AIDS brought an angry response Friday from government officials, who joined Haitian-Americans in rejecting what they called an unwarranted slur. In the 20th Century Fox summer movie hit How Stella Got Her Groove Back, about a 40-year-old American
HIV spread to infants in breast milk: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday August 21, 1998; NEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters) -- About 5% of infants born to HIV-positive women in developing countries become infected with HIV through breastfeeding, according to a report in The Lancet. Based on the study findings, an international team of researchers conclude that the risk of postnatal HIV transmission via breast milk
More women using condoms after sterilization: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday August 20, 1998; NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) -- An increasing number of women are using condoms after tubal sterilization for protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), a study from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, reports. The present investigation reveals the encouraging findings that condom use intentio
MDI says results promising on HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday August 20, 1998; LAYTON, Utah, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Medical Discoveries Inc. (MDI), a bio-pharmaceutical company, said on Wednesday its pharmaceutical drug MDI-P had demonstrated potent anti-HIV activity. In a statement, Medical Discoveries said MDI-P had been shown to be effective in killing HIV in cell culture. HIV is the virus that ca
Nonoxynol 9 film does not prevent STDs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday August 19, 1998; NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) -- The results of a 2-year trial in prostitutes indicate that vaginal film containing the spermicide nonoxynol 9 is not effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV, gonorrhea, or chlamydia infection. The researchers previously released preliminary findings last ye
Testosterone reduces fatigue in HIV patients: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday August 17, 1998; NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) -- Extreme fatigue in men who are HIV positive or have AIDS can be substantially alleviated with testosterone injections, according to a study in the August issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry. Researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the College of Physicians
Treating prisoners helps public, U.S. study shows: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday August 6 7:52 PM EDT; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treating prisoners for the virus that causes AIDS, for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and for tuberculosis helps not just the inmates but protects the public, a U.S. government report said Thursday. The joint report by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and
AIDS patient returns to test U.S. immigration ban: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday August 4, 11:21 pm EST; SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - An AIDS patient from New Zealand seeking to test the U.S. ban on immigration by people infected with HIV arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday to claim benefits he earned during 28 years of residence in the city. Despite fears among his lawyers that he would be arrested immediately upon a
HIV study should focus on women -U.S. AIDS chief: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday August 3, 9:28 pm Eastern Time; WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - New AIDS research should focus on women, new drugs and mother-to-child transmission, the head of the U.S. Office of AIDS Research said on Monday. Neil Nathanson said the course of the disease in the population had changed, and research needed to change with it. AIDS is the plague of the 20
HIV-infected woman slept with 50 men, police say: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday July 30 5:24 PM EDT; LEWISBURG, Tenn. (Reuters) - A 29-year-old Tennessee woman infected with the AIDS virus took out her anger by having sex with roughly 50 men she picked up in bars, police said Thursday. Pamela Wiser was jailed on two counts of criminal exposure of sex partners with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and may face further
AIDS scare shakes up porn industry: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday July 28 7:34 AM EDT; David Finnigan; HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - A new AIDS scare has sent shudders through the adult-film industry, prompting the producers of heterosexual porn to do what many of their gay counterparts began years ago -- making condoms-only sex videos. Leading porn producers have collectively agreed to the all-condoms policy after five porn st
AIDS groups reverse stand, call for HIV testing: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday July 20, 10:32 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - U.S. AIDS groups that have previously opposed widespread HIV testing reversed their stand on Monday, saying wider testing is one of the best ways to help stem the epidemic. They also said the government and groups like theirs need to step up prevention programs that educate people who ha
Children's shared snorkel led to AIDS test?: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday July 30 5:25 PM EDT; CHICAGO (Reuters) - A white mother who discovered her son shared a snorkel with a black child at a suburban swimming pool allegedly coerced authorities to perform an AIDS test on the black child, a lawyer said Thursday. A lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago by the American Civil Liberties Union named as defendant
Enzo Biochem starts Phase I HIV trials: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday July 13, 11:22 am EST; FARMINGDALE, N.Y., July 13 (Reuters) - Enzo Biochem Inc said on Monday that it has initiated Phase I human clinical trials of HGTV43, a genetic antisense-based therapeutic product designed to treat HIV-1 infected individuals. Enzo said that this product has been developed to protect human immune cells against infection
Schizophrenics at higher risk of HIV infection-study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday July 13, 9:10 pm EST; WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - Schizophrenics may have a higher risk than most people of becoming infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, researchers said on Monday. A review of dozens of different studies shows that schizophrenics need special protection, psychologist Irving Gottesman of the University of Virgi
NAACP promises action on AIDS among blacks: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Saturday, July 11, 1998; Mike Cooper; ATLANTA (Reuters) - The nation s oldest civil rights organization began its annual convention Saturday with its leader promising to go into the streets to highlight the skyrocketing rate of AIDS among blacks. Kweisi Mfume, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he would as
HIV-positive child wins permission to enter Canada: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday July 10, 6:34 pm EST; Delphine Dewulf; TORONTO, July 10 (Reuters) - A five-year-old girl who is HIV-positive and was initially refused a visa to visit Canada with her adoptive parents, has finally been allowed to enter the country with her family for a six month visit, Canadian immigration officials said on Friday. The child, Nikki, was adopted in
AIDS drug effective against hepatitis B - study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday July 8, 8:55 pm EST; BOSTON, July 8 (Reuters) - Yearlong use of an anti-AIDS drug can help prevent liver damage in people suffering from hepatitis B, according to a study by a team of doctors in Hong Kong , Taiwan and Singapore
U.S. drugs group says ABT-378 potent in AIDS: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday July 5 8:14 AM EDT; Jonathan Birt; GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. drugs group Abbott Laboratories Inc. presented preliminary data on its second-generation protease inhibitor ABT-378 at the 12th World AIDS conference, saying the drug was well-tolerated and potent. Abbott is combining the drug with a small amount of its existing protease inhibitor
Call to arms against inequality ends AIDS meet: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday July 3 11:33 PM EDT; Patricia Reaney; GENEVA (Reuters) - The 12th World AIDS Conference ended on Friday with a call to arms, speakers warning that the war against the pandemic that will afflict 40 million people by the millennium is far from over. As a counter added up the number of people infected with the HIV virus around the world -- one every five seco
AIDS pioneer sets out new lines of defense: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday July 2 9:10 AM EDT; Jonathan Birt; GENEVA (Reuters) - Three new lines of potential defense against the virus that causes AIDS were set out on Thursday by Dr. Robert Gallo, the pioneering American researcher who helped discover the HIV virus. Gallo said work should concentrate on methods of blocking the virus from entering healthy cells, moving on from c
Gilead shares drop amid concerns about HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday July 2, 7:32 pm EST; Mark Egan; LOS ANGELES, July 2 (Reuters) - Shares of Gilead Sciences Inc. fell more than 17 percent on Thursday after several analysts cut their ratings on the stock amid concerns that the toxicity of the company s HIV drug may hurt potential sales. Foster City, Calif.-based Gilead closed $5 lower at $25.375in active trading on t
First steps taken towards gene therapy for HIV in U.S: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday July 1, 4:35 pm EST; WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - A first stab at using gene therapy to treat the HIV virus that causes AIDS looks hopeful, scientists reported on Wednesday. They said very early Phase I trials for safety in twins showed the treatment was safe and well-tolerated. Gene therapy has never been shown to truly work in people.
Chiron says HIV drug raises CD4+ cell counts: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday, July 1, 1998; EMERYVILLE, Calif., July 1 (Reuters) - Biotechnology firm Chiron Corp. (CHIR - news) said Wednesday that its HIV treatment drug Proleukin has been shown to increase the CD4+ cell counts of patients infected with HIV. The company said that the results came from a Phase II study by the French National Agency on AIDS Rese
Gilead finds Preveon helps cut HIV RNA: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday, July 1, 1998; FOSTER CITY, Calif., July 1 (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc. said on Wednesday that its Preveon drug when used with other drugs showed a decrease in levels of HIV genetic material when tested in Phase II/III clinical trials. In data presented to the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva, once-daily treatment with Preveo
Natural HIV immunity may hold vaccine clues: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday, July 1, 1998; Jonathan Birt; GENEVA (Reuters) - American researchers said Wednesday they were looking at the possibility that some individuals have a natural immunity that protects them from the HIV virus. Although scientists at the University of California San Francisco AIDS Research Institute stressed it was early, they said the theory could pla
Multi-resistant strain of HIV reported: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday July 1 10:56 AM EDT; Patricia Reaney; GENEVA (Reuters) - An American doctor who reported the first case of transmission of a strain of the HIV virus that is resistant to the most potent drugs said it was a important warning sign but no reason to panic. Dr Frederick Hecht of the University of California and San Francisco General Hospital told the 12th World
HIV virus still eludes even most potent drugs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday June 30 3:07 PM EDT; Patricia Reaney; GENEVA (Reuters) - Leading AIDS experts held out hope for a vaccine within a decade and warned that even the most potent triple drug combinations are not eliminating the HIV virus in infected patients. Drug cocktails including the latest protease inhibitors can reduce the virus that causes AIDS to undetectable levels i
Vertex Pharma, Glaxo HIV study positive: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday June 30, 7:33 pm EST; NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticasl (VRTX - news) said Tuesday that patients with HIV who received a combination of the investigational drugs Ziagen and Agenerase showed reduced virus after 48 weeks of treatment according to preliminary data from a small Phase II study.
Laboratory to unveil 2 HIV diagnostic tests: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday June 30, 9:36 am EST; NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters) - Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings and VIRCO, a private Belgian biotechnology company, on Tuesday said their two new diagnostic tests for HIV, Antivirogram and VircoGEN, will be available in the U.S. for commercial use on July 20. The testing procedures will enable physicians to evaluate
Scientists find new piece in HIV puzzle: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday June 29 3:06 PM EDT; Patricia Reaney; GENEVA (Reuters) - New research into how the HIV virus infects healthy cells could help explain why some people develop AIDS within months while others live for years without any symptoms, scientists said on Monday. The virus invades the body by entering host cells, using the cell s machinery to replicate and produce n
Plan to speed up AIDS vaccine development: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday June 28 1:18 PM EDT; Patricia Reaney; GENEVA (Reuters) - A new global plan to speed up AIDS vaccine development was launched at the start of the 12th World AIDS conference Sunday. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), an independent non-profit scientific organization, released its scientific blueprint designed to advance progress in preventativ
Geneva AIDS conference targets wealth gap: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday, June 28, 1998 06:43:00 PM; Greg Calhoun; GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) - The 12th Annual World AIDS Conference opening here Sunday will focus on bridging the gap between rich nations where advances against the disease are being made and the developing world where infection and death rates are still advancing rapidly. The essential message of the Geneva m
World AIDS conference swaps hubris for realism: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday June 28 2:13 AM EDT; Jonathan Birt; GENEVA (Reuters) - The 12th World Aids Conference which opens in Geneva on Sunday will be a much more sober event than its predecessor in Vancouver two years ago. Talk of dramatic breakthroughs in treatment of HIV and AIDS in Canada has given way to realization that prospects of eradicating the disease remain an elusiv
U.S. court extends disability law to HIV cases: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday June 26 2:00 AM EDT; James Vicini; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided Supreme Court has ruled that the law that protects the disabled from discrimination covers people who have the virus that causes AIDS, even if they have none of the disease s symptoms. The 5-4 decision was the high court s first AIDS-related ruling and was only the second time it decide
ANALYSIS-Asia crisis opens rich/poor AIDS gulf: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday June 25, 2:52 am EST; Chris Johnson; BANGKOK, June 25 (Reuters) - Asia s economic crisis is hampering the fight against AIDS and will increase the spread of HIV in what is already the world s second most affected region, regional health officials said on Thursday. Despite promises that the battle against the epidemic would not be hit by recession, governm
First large-scale test of AIDS vaccine begins: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday June 23 7:53 PM EDT; SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Reuters) - Volunteers in the first large-scale test of a vaccine against the virus that causes AIDS received their first inoculations Tuesday, the company that developed the serum said. VaxGen , a privately held South San Francisco biotechnology company that developed the vaccine, known as
New York lawmakers approve HIV register: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Saturday June 20 2:28 PM EDT; ALBANY, N.Y. (Reuters) - New York state is poised to establish the nation s first central registry of people who are HIV-positive, after the proposed measure passed the state legislature. Under the legislation, anyone testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, will be reported to the state Health Department.
Program helps stop HIV in the most hopeless groups: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday June 18, 10:56 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - AIDS education and self-help programs can help even the hardest-to-reach groups change their behavior for the better and prevent the spread of AIDS, researchers said on Thursday. A study at 37 clinics across the United States shows that no group is too hopeless to help, the researchers,
Study confirms AIDS infection rates changing: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday June 16 5:28 PM EDT; CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. study said to be the most detailed look yet at young people coming of age in the AIDS era found a dramatic drop in infection rates of the disease among white men, researchers said Tuesday. But the study also found heterosexual transmission of the disease, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,
Immune signs pact with Agouron: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday June 11, 4:38 pm EST; LA JOLLA, Calif., June 11 (Reuters) - Immune Response Corp said Thursday it signed a pact with Agouron Pharmaceuticals for final development and commercialization of HIV treatment REMUNE worth up to $77 million to Immune Response over two years. REMUNE is an immune-based therapy for the treatment of HIV infection which
DuPont Merck submits application for HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday June 11, 11:14 am EST; WILMINGTON, Del., June 11 (Reuters) - DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. said Thursday had it submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its anti-HIV treatment Sustiva . The FDA has designated Sustiva as a fast-track product, which means the regulatory agency will expedite the review of
Study shows HIV is a 'viral Houdini': Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday June 17 11:34 PM EDT; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers said Wednesday they had gotten their first good look at the physical structure of a key protein used by the AIDS virus, and found it is a viral Houdini that shifts shape to evade the body s defenses. They managed to image the crystalline structure of the gp120 protein the virus uses t
AIDS activists hold funeral protest at W.House: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday June 5 6:41 AM EDT; Randall Mikkelsen; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AIDS activists Thursday used the body of a dead colleague to protest the Clinton administration s policies on the disease. Steve Michael, who died of AIDS May 25 at the age of 42, was given an open casket funeral in front of the White House, in accordance with his dying wish. He wanted a last sta
AIDS vaccine gets advanced trial in people: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday June 4 2:07 AM EDT; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) gave the go-ahead Wednesday for large-scale tests of a vaccine against the AIDS virus -- the first vaccine to make it this far in testing. But many AIDS experts were skeptical about whether the vaccine, developed by California-based
UK insurer targets gay men with HIV/AIDS cover: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday June 3, 1:52 pm EST; Nicholas Moss; LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) - A London-based insurer is targeting homosexual men as a niche market with what it says is a first: an income protection policy which includes cover for HIV or AIDS. The policy, underwritten at Lloyd s of London, offers cover for gay men contracting HIV, AIDS or sexually-transmitted diseases,
Vaxgen gets FDA OK to start HIV vaccine Phase III: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday June 3, 11:02 am EST; SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Phase III clinical trials for VaxGen Inc. s AIDSVAX vaccine against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the company said Wednesday. VaxGen said it will be the first time an HIV vaccine has been evaluated in a large-scale stu
AIDS virus can outsmart all treatments - study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday May 31, 5:00 pm EST; STANFORD, Calif., May 31 (Reuters) - The AIDS virus has the potential to outsmart virtually all the drug treatments now approved in the United States to treat it, according to a study released on Sunday. There is a problem with drug resistance, and we can t fool ourselves, said Stanford University s Dr. Robert Shafer,
A good legacy from the plague: gene that thwarts AIDS: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday May 8, 7:56 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - A gene mutation that protects some people from infection with the HIV virus that causes AIDS may have protected people hundreds of years ago from plague, researchers said on Friday. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) think it s a reasonable explanation of why up to 15 percen
Unimed diarrhea drug delayed by FDA request: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday May 6, 3:57 pm EST; GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 6 (Reuters) - Unimed Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has requested additional information about the company s Cryptaz diarrhea treatment before it decides whether to recommend the drug to the FDA for marketing clearance. In a stateme
U.S. HIV patients admit they don't take drugs-survey: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday May 5, 11:15 pm EST; WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - More than 40 percent of Americans infected with HIV do not take their drugs as directed, according to a survey published on Tuesday. The survey found that 43 percent of HIV patients polled admitted that they did not take all of their drugs as prescribed -- even though multi-drug cocktails
LA TV searches its soul after showing suicide: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday May 1 11:39 PM EDT; Arthur Spiegelman; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles television stations engaged in agonizing soul-searching Friday after preempting afternoon talk and children s shows a day earlier to show a man kill himself with a shotgun on a freeway. Two of the six stations that broadcast the scene live kept their cameras rolling close-up even as
Enzo says wins grant to test HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday April 30, 10:39 am EST; FARMINGDALE, N.Y., April 30 (Reuters) - Enzo Biochem Inc. Thursday said it received a phase one grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a drug to treat HIV patients in a new way. The grant may last for up to six months and could lead to a larger phase two grant if early trials were successful, a company
Scherer signs deal to make drug to treat HIV: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday April 28, 2:27 pm Eastern Time; TROY, Mich., April 28 (Reuters) - R.P. Scherer Corp. said on Tuesday that it signed an exclusive agreement to make softgels for a Roche Holding Ltd (ROCZg.S) affiliate F. Hoffmann-La Roche drug used to treat HIV-infected patients. Scherer has been making soft gelatin, or softgel, capsules for Roche filled with the prot
LabCorp to sell HIV drug effectiveness test: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday April 28, 9:54 pm EST; BURLINGTON, N.C., April 28 (Reuters) - Laboratory Corp. of America) Holdings said Tuesday that it has an exclusive partnership with VIRCO, a Belgian-based biotechnology company, to offer blood analysis tests that will tell doctors and their HIV positive patients which drugs are likely to be effective against the indivi
HIV virus may target gut, researchers say: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday April 16, 10:34 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - The HIV virus that causes AIDS may head straight for the gut early on in infection -- which could mean that research into ways to fight it has been looking in the wrong place, researchers said on Thursday. Tests on monkeys show that SIV, their version of HIV, destroys immune cells in th
New immune system measurement helps in virus fight: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday April 9, 6:19 pm EST; Michael Kahn; WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - Improved techniques for measuring the body s immune response are giving researchers insights that could help them in the fight to develop vaccines against HIV and cancer, scientists said on Thursday. While making advances in learning about viruses and other invaders like bacteria, doctor
U.S. High Court Considers AIDS Disability Case: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday March 31 1:57 AM EST; James Vicini; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the law barring discrimination based on disability applies to people who have the virus that causes AIDS, but have no symptoms of the disease. It was the first AIDS-related case considered by the court and the first time it has taken up the eight-
Mysterious pregnancy factor blocks HIV, study finds: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday March 30, 8:25 pm EST; WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - An unidentified chemical produced by pregnant women appears to help block infection by the HIV virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported on Monday. Dr. Robert Gallo of the Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore, who helped discover HIV, said he and colleagues were backing away from
End to U.S. Needle Exchange Funds Ban Urged: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday March 27 6:59 PM EST; Patrick Connole; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of House Democrats and health experts Friday urged the Clinton administration to lift a ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs when a moratorium ends next week. Last year, Congress imposed a ban on using federal monies for such exchanges until March 31. After March 31, fe
U.S. Urges More Use of Quick HIV Test: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday March 27 1:53 AM EST; Mike Cooper; ATLANTA (Reuters) - Federal health officials said Thursday that expanded use of rapid tests for the AIDS virus could detect thousands more cases of HIV infection every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the tests now commonly used, while more precise, can take weeks to process and that many
Fighter cells said to control level of HIV in blood: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 26, 11:04 pm EST; Mark Weinraub; WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - The human immune system has cells that can hold down levels of the AIDS virus in blood and may provide a model for a possible vaccine, researchers confirmed on Thursday. The more of these cells, known as cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), there are in the blood, the lower the viral load or
Aggressive, costly treatment for HIV works -study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday March 25, 8:37 pm EST; Leslie Gevirtz; BOSTON, March 25 (Reuters) - The powerful three-drug combination known as the AIDS cocktail dramatically cuts the rate of death and disease for those with HIV infections, a new study finds. U.S. researchers report in Thursday s New England Journal of Medicine that even among those with the most severely compromised imm
Survey: U.S. Teens Feel Pressure to Have Sex: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday March 25 6:40 AM EST; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most U.S. teenagers will have had sex by the time they are 18, and nearly half say they have felt pressured into sexual relationships, a survey released Wednesday found. The survey of 650 13 to 18-year-olds found that 47 percent said they had done something sexual, or felt pressure to do somethin
U.S. worker with AIDS sues Japan firm for harassment: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday March 24, 9:00 pm EST; CHICAGO, March 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. unit of Japan s largest transportation firm, Nippon Express (9062.T), has been sued in federal court by an employee with AIDS who alleged the company harassed him, officials said on Tuesday. The lawsuit filed last week on behalf of ex-employee Richard McCullough by the U.S. Equal
Triple-drug therapy can lower HIV levels - study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday March 24, 7:12 pm EST; CHICAGO, March 24 (Reuters) - The drug nevirapine , taken in combination with two others, lowered the AIDS virus in the blood of half of HIV-infected patients tested to undetectable levels after one year, researchers said on Tuesday. Nevirapine, which is sold under the brand name
Nippon Roche begins Japan sales of JT's HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday March 23, 10:51 pm EST; TOKYO, March 24 (Reuters) - Nippon Roche KK, a Japan unit of Roche Holding AG (OTC BB:ROHHY - news; ROCZg.S), said on Tuesday it had began sales of anti-HIV drug Viracept in most of Japan. Viracept was developed jointly by Japan Tobacco Inc (JT) (2914.T) and Agouron Pharmaceutic
Research shows anti-AIDS cell vulnerable to HIV: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday March 18, 5:35 pm EST; Gilbert Le Gras; TORONTO, March 18 (Reuters) - The hope that white blood cells could one day be marshalled to combat AIDS has been dashed by a top researcher who helped discover the HIV virus. White blood cells, it turns out, can also become infected and die -- a setback in the battle against the disease. We now know they re infectable
Glaxo Wellcome gets EU nod for Combivir: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday March 18, 10:04 am EST; LONDON, March 18 (Reuters) - British drugs giant Glaxo Wellcome Plc (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland : GLXO.L) said on Wednesday it had been given approval by the European Commission to market Combivir in all 15 countries in
U.S. blacks "very" concerned about AIDS - survey: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday March 17, 8:48 pm EST; MENLO PARK, Calif., March 17 (Reuters) - African Americans are twice as worried about AIDS as the rest of the country, and most say the government is not doing enough to fight the disease in their communities, said a survey released on Tuesday. Blacks make up just 12 percent of the U.S. population, but accounted for so
HIV-Infected U.S. Soldier Guilty on Sex Charge: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday March 10 10:40 PM EST; Mike Cooper; FORT BENNING, Ga. (Reuters) - A married U.S. Army soldier infected with the virus that causes AIDS pleaded guilty at his court-martial Tuesday to charges he had unprotected sex with seven women without disclosing his medical condition. Army Spc. Raymond Humphries pleaded guilty to seven counts of aggravated assault, ei
Japan Tobacco gets ministry's approval on HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday, March 6, 1998; TOKYO, March 6 (Reuters) - Japan Tobacco Inc (JT) (2914.T) said on Friday that the Health Ministry has approved the sale of JT s anti-HIV drug Viracept in Japan. A company spokesman said further details would be announced at 11 a.m. (0200 GMT). In May 1997, JT applied for government approval to import Viracept,
AIDS levels off among native Americans: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 5, 1998; ATLANTA, March 5 (Reuters) - AIDS cases among American Indians and the indigenous people of Alaska have leveled off, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,783 AIDS cases had occurred among American Indians and native Alaskans since the epidemic began. AID
USAID to focus on malaria, TB, new bugs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 5, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said on Thursday it would spend most of a $50 million budget windfall on malaria, tuberculosis and fighting drug-resistant superbugs . Better surveillance networks aimed at nipping epidemics ranging from measles to Ebola in the bud wo
Unimed gets FDA priority review of NTZ: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 5, 1998; BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., March 5 (Reuters) - Unimed Pharmaceuticals Inc said Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a priority review for its NTZ drug which treats cryptosporidial diarrhea in people with HIV. An FDA priority review ensures that a new drug application will be completely reviewed and acted u
Study charts survival rates for women with AIDS: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 5, 1998; PHILADELPHIA, March 5 (Reuters) - Women treated for HIV-infection at U.S. outpatient clinics had an improved overall survival rate if those medical facilities were experienced at treating AIDS, researchers said on Thursday. A study of 887 women covered under Medicaid found that 71 percent of those patients who sought t
Groups welcome company's offer of cheap HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday March 5, 1998; WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - AIDS groups welcomed an announcement on Thursday by drugs giant Glaxo-Wellcome (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland : GLXO.L) that it would lower the prices of its mainstay HIV drugs AZT and
Ritonavir effective in treating HIV patients -study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 19, 10:44 pm EST; LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Canadian and American researchers said on Friday that giving the drug ritonavir to patients with severe HIV can stave off their progression to full-blown AIDS. When ritonavir, made by Abbott Laboratories [NYSE:ABT - news] Inc, was taken along with existing treatments during an internati
Short Course of AZT Prevents HIV in Babies: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 18 5:05 PM EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A simplified regimen of the drug AZT can stop mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus that causes AIDS and should quickly be adopted in poor countries, researchers said on Wednesday. Long-awaited results from a trial in Thailand showed the cheaper and simpler c
HIV-positive prostitute causes concern: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 18 11:42 AM EST; JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli Health Ministry said it would try to persuade an HIV-positive prostitute, aged about 70, to stop her work. AIDS activists in contact with the prostitute say she has intercourse with six to 10 customers a day, charges only 10 shekels ($2.80) and does not demand that they wear condoms.
Treating Patients After HIV Exposure: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday February 16 11:35 AM EST; NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Counseling patients on the importance of reducing any risk behaviors for HIV infection should be a big part of postexposure preventive treatment. Although it is not clear that postexposure preventive treatment after sexual contact is effective, two San Francisco, California-based physicians point
AIDS researchers appeal for vaccine help: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday February 15, 4:23 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; PHILADELPHIA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Leading U.S. AIDS researchers appealed for help from across the scientific community on Sunday in finding a vaccine against the HIV virus. Peter Kim of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said vaccine research needed all the help it could get. With more than 40 vaccines in trials,
U.S. Gets New Surgeon General: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday February 13 3:05 PM EST; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton Friday presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Dr. David Satcher as U.S. Surgeon General, a post that has been vacant for three years. The Senate Tuesday easily confirmed Satcher, ending a nasty confirmation battle that focused on the politics of AIDS and abortion. The 63-35 v
Lab Quality Key To Accurate Test Results: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 11 6:33 PM EST; NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The results of lab tests conducted in physicians office laboratories (POLs) are three times more likely to be inaccurate than tests sent to licensed labs, according to a report this week in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Patients should be aware that preliminary findings s
Satcher Confirmed as U.S. Surgeon General: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 11 1:57 AM EST; Joanne Kenen; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate easily confirmed President Clinton s nomination of Dr. David Satcher as U.S. Surgeon General, ending a nasty confirmation battle that focused on the politics of AIDS and abortion. The 63-35 vote filled a three-year vacancy in the post often called America s family doctor. No one is bet
Men With HIV Said Less Likely to Tell Partners: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday February 8 11:45 PM EST; BOSTON (Reuters) - A study due to be published Monday found that three out of four women infected with the AIDS virus told their sexual partners while about half the number of infected men disclosed their affliction. Led by Brown University s Dr. Michael Stein, researchers at two New England city hospitals found that o
Glaxo's abacavir works when AZT, 3TC fail: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 8:54 am EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Glaxo-Wellcome s experimental drug abacavir can work in patients who have developed resistance to older drugs in the same class such as AZT and 3TC , researchers said.
DuPont Merck's Sustiva works in trials: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 9:56 am EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - DuPont Merck s experimental new drug Sustiva , known also as efavirenz , worked to suppress HIV in patients who got it along with one and with two other drugs, researchers told an AIDS medical conference. Sustiva is one of a new class of drugs called non-nucleoside
FEATURE-Old drug offers new hope for AIDS: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 11:53 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A 35-year-old drug used mostly to treat cancer has shown astonishing results in a few AIDS patients and may offer the best hope yet to people who are diagnosed with HIV infection early, doctors say. The drug is hydroxyurea and three patients who have taken it in combination with other anti-HI
HIV drugs credited for saving lives in New York: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 7:33 pm EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - New HIV drugs are responsible for saving lives in New York, researchers told a retrovirus conference on Thursday. They said protease inhibitors , a fairly new class of HIV drugs, were clearly responsible for an already reported decline in AIDS deaths in New York City. Mary Ann Chiasson of the
Studies show it's dangerous to cut back on HIV drugs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 7:49 pm EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Two studies released on Thursday show it is dangerous to cut back on the cocktails of drugs that are working to suppress the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Cocktails of three, four, and up to six different drugs have been shown to keep the virus down to near-unmeasurable levels, and keep infecte
Gilead's PMPA seems to work against HIV: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 6:33 pm EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc s experimental drug PMPA is safe and seems to work against the HIV virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported Thursday. They told a conference on HIV that tests of PMPA, a new drug known as a nucleotide analogue, showed the pill taken once a day decreased the amount of v
Drug keeps man HIV-free a year after treatment: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 6:59 pm EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A new treatment against the AIDS virus using a decades-old cancer drug has kept one man healthy for more than a year after he stopped taking the drugs, researchers said on Thursday. We were quite excited about this, Dr. Franco Lori, co-director of the Research Institute for Genetic and Human
Immunex's Leukine drug may have HIV use: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 8:09 pm EST; SEATTLE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Immunex Corp said Thursday laboratory studies suggest its Leukine drug may have a role in treating HIV patients by blocking the entry of the HIV virus into human macrophages. Macrophages are the immune system cells suspected of harboring the last vestiges of HIV infection that remain after ye
Triangle Pharmaceuticals new drug fights HIV-study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 7:10 pm EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A new, experimental drug called FTC can work by itself to knock the HIV virus back to low levels, researchers told a conference on Thursday. The drug, made by Triangle Pharmaceuticals (VIRS - news) in Durham, North Carolina, worked both in low, twice-a-day doses and in one high daily dose in
U.S. Bioscience drug shows anti-HIV activity: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 2:54 pm EST; WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. Bioscience Inc said Thursday the Phase I trial of its lodenosine (FddA) drug showed it anti-HIV activity, defined as a reduction in HIV viral load. The company said in a statement the anti-HIV drug showed the activity even in patients who had failed other AIDS antiretrovir
Four drug regimen strong against HIV - study: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday February 5, 9:26 am EST; CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A four-drug combination of drugs works powerfully both in patients who have never been treated for HIV before and in those who have tried simpler regimens, researchers said. The cocktail, tested in 57 volunteers, included the NNRTI nevirapine , which is sold as
Studies show AIDS "cocktails" help children too: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 4, 4:58 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Strong triple-drug cocktails that show near-miraculous results in many adults in controlling the AIDS virus, are working in children too, researchers said on Wednesday. Children are not normally given cocktail treatments, partly because of fears the toxic drugs will make them too ill, partly
Doctors grapple with huge pool of AIDS drugs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 4, 9:09 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - It is a bewildering array of drugs and classes of drugs, with confusing names like protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Doctors are still trying to figure out which drugs to give their HIV-infected patients, how many and at what doses. Dozens of studies being presente
Distressing side-effect plagues AIDS drug users: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 4, 10:15 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Scientists said on Wednesday they are intrigued by a series of studies on unusual fat deposits -- given nicknames like the buffalo hump and protease paunch -- developing in some people taking drug cocktails to fight HIV infection. Ranging from buffalo humps on the upper back under the neck to
Digene says test detects HIV virus: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 4, 8:24 pm EST; BELTSVILLE, Md., Feb 4 (Reuters) - Digene Corp said Wednesday data preliminary study results from its new HIV RNA test show the test can detect as few as 100 copies of the HIV virus per milliliter of blood. The results were presented at the fifth conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago, Ill,
Studies show AIDS "cocktails" help children too: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday February 4, 4:58 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Strong triple-drug cocktails that show near-miraculous results in many adults in controlling the AIDS virus, are working in children too, researchers said on Wednesday. Children are not normally given cocktail treatments, partly because of fears the toxic drugs will make them too ill, partly
AIDS virus hard to ferret out, researchers say: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday, February 3, 1998; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Despite powerful new drug cocktail treatments, the HIV virus that causes AIDS is proving hard to ferret out, hiding in resting immune system cells, in the testicles and perhaps elsewhere in the body, researchers said on Tuesday. But they told a conference on HIV they were rolling out new weap
First HIV Case Traced to 1959 in Belgian Congo: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday February 3 5:11 PM EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO (Reuters) - Researchers said Tuesday they had traced the very first case of HIV infection to a man living in what was then the Belgian Congo in 1959. They say their finding shows that the HIV virus that causes AIDS first showed up in people 10 to 20 years earlier than has previously been estimated. The man was
Pharmacia & Upjohn halts Rescriptor trial: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday February 2, 5:46 pm EST; NEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc said on Monday that it halted clinical trials for Rescriptor because of statistically significant favorable clinical trial results. Rescriptor is a non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection combined with
We're losing track of AIDS epidemic, researchers say: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday February 2, 7:07 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The United States and other industrialized nations are in danger of losing track of the AIDS epidemic, partly because new drugs work so well preventing progression to full-blown AIDS, experts said on Monday. The numbers of new AIDS cases are way down, but more and more it is becoming a diseas
Simple programs can prevent HIV spread, experts say: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday February 2, 8:28 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Simple, and seemingly obvious, programs can help stop the spread of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers said on Monday. Eighteen years into the AIDS epidemic, people are still embarrassed to talk about ways to protect themselves from the virus, and are even avoiding life-saving treatment,
Experts Say AIDS Drugs Must be Fine-Tuned: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday February 2 2:08 PM EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO (Reuters) - With development of a vaccine years away, AIDS experts say it is vital to fine-tune the combinations of drugs that keep the virus at bay. Speakers opening a scientific meeting on HIV research all agreed the most important single challenge in AIDS is the development of a vaccine, Dr. Douglas Richman
Expert: AIDS Vaccine Still a Decade Away: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Sunday February 1 8:38 PM EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; CHICAGO (Reuters) - Ignorance of how the immune system works is blocking any quick breakthrough in developing a vaccine against the virus that causes AIDS, one of the world s top researchers said on Sunday. Dr. David Baltimore of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena predicted development of an AIDS vaccin
Antisense gene approach works from AIDS to cancer: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday January 28, 9:48 pm EST; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent; WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A gene therapy approach known as antisense may work against the virus that causes AIDS, as well as fight cancer and heart disease, three teams of researchers reported on Wednesday. The technique, which uses mirror-image molecules to interfere with undesirable genes, is gaining popularity
Gene Mutation Protects Newborns with HIV: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday January 27 3:50 PM EST; CHICAGO (Reuters) - A gene mutation present in about one in six white people slows the progress of AIDS in many HIV-infected newborns, raising the possibility of treatments exploiting the phenomenon, French researchers said Tuesday. The researchers studied 512 white children born to mothers infected with the virus that
Triangle says FTC reduces HIV viral load: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday January 26, 11:11 am EST; DURHAM, N.C., Jan 26 (Reuters) - Triangle Pharmaceuticals Inc said FTC, an antiviral nucleoside analogue and a member of the same series as 3TC , significantly reduced plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load in Phase I/II clinical trials. Triangle, a pharmaceutical research and development company, said in a press release that pre
Honduras uses soccer in war agains AIDS: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday January 23 3:00 PM EST; Dan Thomas; SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (Reuters) - To many Central American men, soccer is not a matter of life and death -- it is far more important than that. In 1969, amid an escalating border dispute between Honduras and El Salvador , a tense World Cup qualifying match sparked a war between the t
Experiment combines drugs with HIV vaccine: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday January 23, 7:13 pm EST; WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - AIDS researchers said on Friday they were trying a new approach against the deadly virus by combining a vaccine with the triple-drug therapy that has been proved to suppress HIV. The University of Pennsylvania researchers said they hoped a vaccine would work better in people who had the v
Man with HIV needs sex "yes" in writing: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday January 22 5:17 PM EST; ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A Florida judge has ordered a man infected with the virus that causes AIDS to get written consent from partners before engaging in sex, court officials said Thursday. They said Orange County Judge Deb Blechman sentenced Jerrime Day, 20, to one year s probation Wednesday for having sex with an
U.S. Sees AIDS Rise Among Older Americans: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday January 22 3:50 PM EST; Mike Cooper; ATLANTA (Reuters) - AIDS cases have risen more rapidly among people over 50 than among younger adults, federal health officials said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the number of new AIDS cases among people aged 50 and above rose 22 percent between 1991 and 1996, compared with a 9 pe
U.S. government starts three new AIDS vaccine trials: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Wednesday January 14, 5:57 pm EST; WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Researchers funded by the U.S. government said Wednesday they were starting trials of three new vaccines against the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The trials, being run in St. Louis, Nashville, Seattle, Birmingham, Baltimore and Rochester, are funded by the National Institute of Allergy and
Signal/Dupont Merck join to fight HIV/Hepatitis C: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday January 13, 9:13 am EST; WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 13 (Reuters) - Signal Pharmaceuticals Inc said Tuesday it formed a three year deal with a potential value of $25 million with DuPont Merck to identify human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C antiviral drugs. The company said in a press release that under terms of the agreement, DuPont M
U.S. Moves to Shut California Marijuana Clubs: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday, January 09, 1998 16:00:00; SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits Friday in a bid to shut down six California marijuana distribution clubs on the grounds they violated federal drug laws. The civil lawsuits, filed in federal courts in San Francisco and San Jose, marked the latest legal skirmish to rise from Califo
Trimeris begins phase II trial on anti-HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday January 9, 7:47 am EST; DURHAM, N.C., Jan 9 (Reuters) - Trimeris Inc (Nasdaq:TRMS - news) said Friday it had initiated a Phase II clinical trial for T-20, a new class of anti-viral drugs that blocks HIV infection. The study will determine both the optimal dosing for T-20 and the feasibility of its administration through an infusion device dev
Saliva component blocks AIDS virus - researchers: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Thursday January 8, 4:45 pm EST; NEW YORK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Researchers have found that a natural component of human saliva can block the growth of laboratory strains of the virus that causes AIDS, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center said on Thursday. It said the finding, published in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, cou
Cuban HIV infection increased in 1997 -officials: Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Tuesday January 6, 4:12 pm EST; HAVANA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Senior Cuban health officials said on Tuesday the rate of people being infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS increased last year, although the island still had a low rate of infection. Deputy health minister Raul Perez Gonzalez and the ministry s director of epidemiology Manuel Santin t

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