Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - December 10, 2007
The syndrome -- associated with the use of anti-retroviral drugs -- results in the loss of subcutaneous fat and an increase in deep abdominal fat, leading many patients to stop taking anti-retroviral medications. The syndrome also causes increased long-term cardiovascular risks.
Dr. Julian Falutz, director of the HIV Metabolic Clinic at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal and Dr. Steven Grinspoon, director at the Massachusetts General Hospital Program in Nutritional Metabolism -- in collaboration with Theratechnologies Inc., a Montreal biotechnology com -- developed a synthetic analogue of the naturally occurring growth hormone-releasing factor, or GRF-tesamorelin.
The effectiveness of the drug in reducing increased deep abdominal fat and decreasing blood lipid levels was initially confirmed in a small phase II study published in 2005. The recent large phase III study followed 412 patients for six months.
The researchers found patients treated with tesamorelin experienced an average 15 percent abdominal fat decrease, compared with a 5 percent average increase for the placebo group.
The study appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
071210
UPI071207
Copyright © 2007 - United Press International. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through United Press International, Permissions Desk, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 2005. Main Phone Switchboard: 202-898-8000 FAX: 202-898-8057 or 202-898-8147 Email: info@upi.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .