Although AIDS buyers clubs have existed for about ten years, there has never been an exact definition of what is and what is not a buyers club. Buyers clubs sell alternative/complementary treatments and supplements, some of which may otherwise be difficult to obtain, at prices generally lower than retail. Most have 501
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is published on the first and third Friday of each month. Since the first Friday in January is New Years Day, we are moving both issues back one week, and will publish on January 8 and January 20.
Jon Kaiser, M.D., an HIV specialist practicing in San Francisco for many years, focuses on combining mainstream and natural HIV treatment approaches. Five years ago he published IMMUNE POWER; now he has updated his recommendations in HEALING HIV: HOW TO REBUILD YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. Before reviewing the new book, we will
On December 1 Glaxo Wellcome announced a price for Ziagen (TM) ( abacavir , 1592), which was less than many had feared. Glaxo will charge wholesalers $3,540 per year ($9.70 per day), with discounts to the ADAPs (AIDS Drug A
Next-day summaries of the 4th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection (November 8-12, Glasgow, Scotland) are available at http://www.healthcg.com/hiv. Also, the complete program is currently online at the official Web site of the conference, http://www.hiv98.com. This conference focused on HIV clinical
The 35th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (Denver, November 12-15, 1998) had almost 800 oral or poster presentations--186 of which mentioned HIV in the abstract or title. You can search the abstracts online (see below). Note that these published abstracts were submitted well before the confe
Baltimore, Cambridge, Chapel Hill, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Galveston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle ACTG 334 is a small, 16-week clinical trial using many laboratory measurements to study low-dose cyclosporin in persons with HIV. Cyclosporin suppresses some immune responses, and is used in higher do
On November 30, THE NEW YORK TIMES reported that President Clinton will include in his budget a proposal to allow many persons who are officially disabled to return to work-- without losing their medical benefits on the grounds that since they can work, they are no longer disabled. A similar proposal already had strong
On November 26, IAVI (the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative) announced grants totaling over $9,000,000 to develop two different kinds of vaccines, which were picked by a panel of experts as among the most promising in the world. The first human trials should begin in about a year. IAVI has also negotiated unique in
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is starting a program to help physicians and clinics provide free subscriptions to treatment newsletters (ours and others) for patients who want them. One model for this program is the experience at Marin County Specialty Clinic, which serves many low-income clients and for over a year has provided
A two-day conference on HIV/AIDS policy and what you can do as a grassroots advocate for people with HIV/AIDS will be sponsored by the HIV Advocacy Network, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, in San Francisco. The first day will address issues for the 106th Congress, HIV/AIDS and the new California governor, HIV surveillan
Medical marijuana measures were on the ballot in six states and the District of Columbia, and won in all of them by substantial majorities. In two cases, legal maneuvers prevented the election results from taking effect. There were two other statewide votes to liberalize laws against non- medical use, and both of them
All press covering the important 6th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (January 31 to February 4 at the Sheraton Chicago) must register by December 31 (and before press registration fills, which may be earlier). Any physicians or researchers who want to go but have not already registered should do
A brochure, Protecting Your Family from Influenza, is available at http://www.apic.org, the Web site of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. It is written for the general public, not specifically for persons with HIV. It outlines approaches including vaccination, handwashing, av
The National Association of People with AIDS has published a guide to your health-insurance rights under Federal law. PROTECTING YOUR PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, HOW THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA) COULD HELP YOU!, by Jeffrey S. Crowley, M.P.H., and Robin L. Massengale, is a cons
Proposed new Federal rules could prevent all state Medicaid programs (MediCal in California) from funding medical tests which are not FDA approved; this would include the ultrasensitive viral load test (even though it costs no more than the approved viral load test), and HIV resistance testing as it moves into the stan
In issue #306 we reported a nationwide shortage of all generic injectable testosterone products. Both cypionate and enanthate forms are now out of stock at many but not all pharmacies and distributors, and it could take as long as a year for supplies to be re-established. Brand-name injectable testosterone products, as
This year s World AIDS Conference (June 28 - July 3 in Geneva) chose the theme Bridging the Gap --the gap between the lifesaving treatment advances for about 10% of people with AIDS or HIV in rich countries, and the other 90% in developing countries who have no access to modern HIV care. Despite the hard work of a few,
Our last issue explained in detail a problem with the California ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program), which led to many people being surprised when the central computer said they were no longer eligible after September 1. They still are eligible (unless their income is now too high, or they otherwise do not meet the cr
Two nationally recognized experts will speak on the often- problematic task of maintaining confidentiality when counseling young clients under California laws. Therapists are required to call law enforcement in some cases--if the minor has sex with an adult, for example--whether or not that is in the interest of the cl
Medicaid, the government program for medical care for persons with low income, is today the largest provider of healthcare for persons with AIDS. But to be eligible for Medicaid, a patient needs not only a low income, but also an official diagnosis of disability ; therefore persons with HIV who need medical care cannot
TREATMENT ISSUES, the AIDS treatment newsletter published by Gay Men s Health Crisis in New York, urgently needs a new associate editor to start as soon as possible. The ideal candidate will have a history of writing medical news articles and being familiar with AIDS treatment activism. A demonstrated ability to transl
AIDS funding received large increases for fiscal year 1999 (which started in October 1998). According to numbers provided by the AIDS Action Council: * $110 million was budgeted to fight the AIDS epidemic in African-American communities, and to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in AIDS programs. * The Ryan White pro
On November 16, the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will consider a new drug application for alitretinoin (brand name Panretin), for first-line topical treatment of Kaposi s sarcoma lesions. For more information about this meeting, call the FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 800-741- 8138, and when request
On October 30 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced published guidelines for prevention and treatment of tuberculosis in persons with HIV. Some highlights of the current guidelines: All persons with HIV should be screened for tuberculosis, and treated if necessary. The TB drug rifampin should not be used toget
Recent articles on the Healthcare Communications Group Web site include: * Update on Lipid Abnormalities and Cardiovascular Complications in HIV Infection, by Donald P. Kotler, M.D., posted October 20; * Current Management of Antiretroviral Therapy in the HIV- Infected Patient, posted September 28; * Quick Reference Gu
The 4th International Conference on Drug Therapies in HIV Infection will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, November 8- 12. Those who cannot go can find information on the Web: * Extensive next-day summaries which will be posted on the Web site of Healthcare Communications Group, http://www.healthcg.com/hiv. Written by w
The National AIDS Treatment Advocates Forum will be held this year from December 5-8, at the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia Hotel. It is being organized by the National Minority AIDS Council with the support of eight other AIDS service, information, and research organizations. The registration fee after November 9 is $175.
On October 16 Glaxo Wellcome announced that it has submitted the new protease inhibitor amprenavir (brand name Agenerase ) for U.S. drug approval; four days later it also filed for approval in Canada and in Europe.
Several states, including California, Pennsylvania, and New York, have not yet added efavirenz ( Sustiva ) to their AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) formulary, due to concern that a new wave of high drug prices could make it impossible to assure uninterrupted suppl
Two similar trials, one in the U.S. and one in France , tried switching patients to less-intensive treatment after triple combination therapy had reduced viral load to a relatively low level. In both cases, viral load returned more often in the patients who were switched to the less intensive regimens, than in those wh
On November 2 the FDA Antiviral Drug Products Advisory Committee recommended accelerated approval of abacavir (brand name Ziagen ). The vote was 7-2. The most important trial compared abacavir plus AZT plus
There is a nationwide shortage of certain injectable testosterone products. At this time we do not know how serious the problem is. * Generic testosterone cypionate has been unavailable for weeks in San Francisco, and presumably throughout the U.S. (although some stocks may still remain). No one is currently manufactur
Complete results on the first multi-dose human trial of T-20 were published November 2 in NATURE MEDICINE1 with an accompanying editorial.2 In summary: * At the highest dose tested, patients treated with T-20 alone had a viral load drop of 1.96 logs in 14 days. Analysis of viral dynamics shows that the drop was limited
Starting September 1, hundreds of California residents on ADAP (the AIDS Drug Assistance Program) are having prescriptions rejected on the grounds that their eligibility for the program has expired. In fact, most of them are still eligible for the services, but they need to re-apply for ADAP, since Federal regulations
[Notes: (1) Robert Gorter, M.D., is associate clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center (Department of Family and Community Medicine), and also the medical director of the European Institute for Oncological and Immunological Research, a nonprofit with headquarters in Berlin and off
The eleventh annual conference of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, Diversity: Walking Together Through the Rivers of Changes/La Diversidad: Caminando Juntos Entre los Rios de Cambios, will take place November 15-18, in San Antonio, Texas. Full registration is $395, and daily registration is $170. Reduced fees ar
The 11th National HIV/AIDS Update Conference, Partnering Science and Practice, will be held March 23-26, 1999 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Abstracts for workshops and poster presentations are being accepted until November 1. The conference is organized in five tracks-- prevention, public policy
Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. raised the price of the protease inhibitor nelfinavir ( Viracept ) by 4.6%, effective October 1. There is concern that the total *cost* increase for this drug could be about 15% if nelfinavir is used twice instead of three times a day, since the twice-daily dosage usually
TREATMENT ISSUES, the AIDS treatment newsletter published by Gay Men s Health Crisis in New York, is seeking a new associate editor to start as soon as possible. The ideal candidate will have a history of writing medical news articles and being familiar with AIDS treatment activism. A demonstrated ability to translate
A panel of experts on Western medicine and alternative treatments will address the question, HIV and Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture/Alternative Treatments: Still relevant? Panelists are Donald Abrams, M.D., Jon Kaiser, M.D., Marcy Shapiro, M.D., and Misha Cohen, L.Ac.; the moderator is Stephan Oxendine, Educa
On October 2 the American Foundation for AIDS Research announced two special targeted requests for proposals (RFPs): one on immune reconstitution in HIV infection, and one on HIV vaccine development. A letter of intent and eight additional copies, attached to the cover sheet provided, must be received by Wednesday Nove
The 6th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, January 31 to February 4 at the Sheraton Chicago, may be the most important scientific AIDS conference in 1999. Some scholarships have been made available; the deadline for applying for a scholarship is November 3. Information is available at www.retrocon
POZ Life Expo 1998, a free quality of life consumer expo for everyone impacted by AIDS, will be held October 16-17 at the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Although heavily commercial, the event includes health screenings and useful information. Con
The United States Conference on AIDS, sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council in partnership with about 20 other organizations, is expecting about 2,500 people at this year s meeting in Dallas--the largest AIDS conference in the U.S. The meeting will be held at Adam s Mark Hotel in Dallas. The conference wi
[Note: About ten years ago AIDS TREATMENT NEWS noted the work of Robert Gorter, M.D., a physician from The Netherlands and associate professor at the University of California San Francisco, who was conducting AIDS research and treating patients at San Francisco General Hospital. (See Iscador(R): Promising Experience t
On September 21 Glaxo Wellcome announced the award of 19 grants, totaling $400,000, to nonprofit organizations to fund innovative programs focusing on the healthcare needs of incarcerated individuals living with HIV... The grants will support such programs as case management services, outreach services, educational mat
The Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee will hold an open public meeting for one day, Monday November 2, to discuss Glaxo Wellcome s application for approval of abacavir ( Ziagen ). Information about this hearing is available at the FDA
The recent ICAAC conference (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, San Diego, September 24-27, 1998) produced no big news or surprises. But there was information, among the dozens of AIDS presentations of mixed quality. Extensive daily summaries by leading AIDS treatment experts are now avai
ACT UP/Golden Gate and University of California AIDS Research Institute will sponsor a community forum on unusual body shape changes and lipodystrophy, Monday October 19 at 7:00 p.m., at the Metropolitan Community Church, 150 Eureka Street, San Francisco. UCSF researchers will be there to answer questions from the publ
On September 26 THE LANCET published a research letter on a study at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota on the treatment of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels in persons receiving HIV protease inhibitors (1); the same team had published an early report of coronary artery disease associated with protease
On September 21 both Glaxo Wellcome and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced an expanded-access program for the experimental protease inhibitor amprenavir (brand name Agenerase , formerly known as VX-478 or 141W94). This program will be open to patients failing treatment with currently approved
On September 18 Merck & Co. , Inc. announced that it had discontinued clinical trials with twice-daily dosing of indinavir ( Crixivan ) in combination with nucleoside analogs only. However, it is still continuing studies of twice-dai
On September 18 DuPont Pharmaceuticals announced that its antiretroviral efavirenz (brand name SUSTIVA) had been approved by the FDA . Efavirenz had already been available through a large expanded-access program (over 14,000 people worldwide), but only for patients who could not be treated effectively with a
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
Major national elections are November 3, but you must register *now*, by early October, to be able to vote. You might need to re-register if you have moved, or if you did not vote in the last election; call your Registrar of Voters to check the requirements in your area. You can vote absentee, or by mail, but in order
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
The 2nd Indigenous Nations HIV/AIDS Conference, Sharing the Vision II, will take place near Minneapolis at the Mystic Lake Hotel and Casino, Prior Lake, Minnesota, September 27- 30. Regular conference registration is $169 -- a reduced fee of $79 is available to elders, youth, college students, and persons living with H
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
The Fifth Symposium of the Society for Acupuncture Research will take place September 26-27 at the Lucille Packard Children s Hospital, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. Registration is $120 but discounts are offered to members of the Society for Acupuncture Research and students. Sessions in the preliminary
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
A community consensus letter to the FDA is asking the Agency to move quickly on the application for approval of the UltraSensitive HIV viral load test, developed by Roche Molecular Systems. The UltraSensitive test uses a small modification to the standard viral load test which is already approved, to get reliable data
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
A phase II trial of an oral prodrug of PMPA, an experimental antiretroviral, began enrolling September 4 and is seeking 175 patients at research sites in 20 U.S. cities. And a separate phase I/II study of oral PMPA plus hydroxyurea is enrolling in three cities: Baltimore, San Francisco, and Seattle. Both trials are bei
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation will sponsor a free interactive telephone conference call on AIDS treatment information presented at ICAAC (the 38th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, San Diego, September 24-27, 1998). If you join the call on September 27, you can ask questions of guest
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #303, September 18, 1998
John S. James
The word lipodystrophy , technically defined as defective metabolism of fat, has come to refer to a group of symptoms seen increasingly with the use of protease inhibitors-- including body fat redistribution ( protease paunch, buffalo hump, and other body-shape changes), high triglycerides, high cholesterol, increase i
Project Inform, the largest U.S. AIDS treatment information and advocacy organization, is seeking an executive director. This position will be available on January 1, 1999, and is located in San Francisco. The current executive director, Annette Brands, is leaving on February 28, 1999. Qualifications are three to five
* A major national conference on prison issues (medical and other), including over 150 workshops on varied topics, will take place September 25-27 at the University of California at Berkeley. Critical Resistance: Beyond the Prison Industrial Complex, is sponsored by many prison, academic, and legal organizations, inclu
On August 27 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug using antisense technology‹fomivirsen (Vitravene(TM)) for patients who are intolerant of or have a contraindication to other treatments for CMV retinitis or who were insufficiently responsive to previous treatments for CMV retinitis. This drug
Many of the world s leading researchers in the virology and immunology of HIV disease present new information at the annual meeting of the Institute for Human Virology; the 1998 meeting occurred August 23-29 in Baltimore. The complete list of speakers and their topics‹about 200 scientific presentations‹is available at
HIV & Hepatitis: Complexities of Co-infection, a continuing medical education program primarily for physicians, will be presented Saturday September 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus (auditorium, level B). There is no charge to attend, but advance registration
Hepatitis C‹called the silent epidemic‹affects 4 million Americans and as many as 40% of persons with HIV disease. It is the number one reason for liver transplants in the U.S. Only one out of four people with the disease know they have it. Until June of this year, only one drug, ineffective and expensive, had been app
Treatment activists are circulating a letter on new-drug pricing‹especially regarding abacavir ( Ziagen (TM)) and efavirenz ( Sustiva (TM)), which are likely to be approved soon.
When healthcare workers have serious exposure to HIV (through a needlestick, for example), they are likely to be started on a two- or three-drug regimen within hours (within two hours if possible), and continue taking the drugs for four weeks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published guid
In the last month, serious email security flaws which could affect millions of users have been discovered and publicized. AIDS organizations particularly should pay attention because of the need to maintain confidentiality of client information. If not corrected, these flaws could allow an email message to run a hidden
The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, housed at the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is looking for a person with policy experience in drug development, clinical research policy, and/or medical information transfer. Experience in HIV preferred. Applicants should
Benefits & HIV: Navigating the Systems with (and for) Clients, a two-day seminar for AIDS service providers, will be held September 10 and 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center, San Francisco; the cost is $75 each day. AIDS Benefits Counselors is sponsoring this event, which is partly
International AIDS Conference 1998: Update on Wasting and Body Composition Changes, a talk by Richard Cazen, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, California Pacific Medical Center--Davies Campus (formerly Davies Medical Center), will be given Tuesday September 1, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Josie s Cabaret and Juice Joint,
On August 12 the city of Oakland, California agreed to designate members of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative as officers of the city. The action was taken under an ordinance passed by unanimous vote of the Oakland City Council on July 28. The measure is intended to shield the club from continuing Federal efforts
A two-day workshop, open to the public, will evaluate what research may be needed to assure the safety of medicinal herbs. It will be held at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and is sponsored by NIEHS, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, the FDA s Office of Special N
The Second International Conference on Healthcare Resource Allocation for HIV/AIDS and Other Life-Threatening Illnesses will take place November 15-18, in Cancun, Mexico . This conference is chaired by The Most Rev. Desmond Tutu, and prominent Mexican pediatrician Patricia Uribe Zuniga. Sponsors include International A
The 6th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, January 31 to February 4 at the Sheraton Chicago, may be the largest and most important scientific conference on AIDS in 1999. Although this meeting has been expanded to 3200 people, space is limited and it is likely, as in previous years, that some who w
CHORUS is a research database which is enrolling about 6,000 patients in four major U.S. HIV practices; over 4,000 have volunteered already. This longitudinal study does not change peoples treatment in any way, nor require additional doctor visits; instead, when patients give consent, the data generated during their re
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is planning more coverage of nutritional supplements used or potentially useful for persons with HIV. We would like to hear from readers about what has or has not helped them. We also welcome any comments on some of the ethical and credibility issues of reporting in this area. * We are most interest
Healing Alternatives Foundation, one of the oldest and largest AIDS buyers clubs, will begin medical marijuana distribution on August 5. John Salvati, Healing Alternatives general manager, described this program to AIDS TREATMENT NEWS: * To protect the physicians, they will not be asked to either prescribe or recommend
The HCV Global Foundation Second International HCV Conference, The Silent Epidemic of Hepatitis C, will take place August 23-25 at Oakland Marriott City Center, Oakland, California. This meeting is intended both for patients and healthcare professionals. For more information, call HCV Conference, c/o KREBS Convention M
The Southwestern Conference on Rural HIV/AIDS: Issues in Prevention and Treatment, sponsored by the National Rural Health Association (NHRA), will take place September 10 through September 12 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scheduled speakers include: Sandra Thurman, Director, Office of National A
The 5th annual AIDS Meals and Nutrition Providers Conference, Food Fight 98: Combating HIV Through Nutrition , will be held September 10 through September 13 in San Francisco at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Keynote speakers are Drs. Paul Volberding and Molly Cooke. Workshops include care for pregnant women, pediatric a
A free, one-day training on employment issues for San Francisco AIDS service providers, vocational counselors, and job placement specialists will be held Wednesday, August 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center, 3333 California St., San Francisco. Topics include benefits issues, psychological
The AIDS Community Research Consortium and other HIV/AIDS support organizations in San Mateo County will present a report on the recent 12th World AIDS Conference, with a focus on viral resistance, women and HIV, and cross-cultural perspectives. It will be held Monday August 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Fair O
The annual meeting of the Institute of Human Virology-- traditionally known as the Gallo lab meeting --will take place August 23-29 in Baltimore. Almost 200 oral presentations will report advances in the basic sciences of HIV infection, cancer, and hepatitis; most are highly technical as they are intended for scientist
On June 26 Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. applied to the FDA for permission to market a more sensitive viral load test. The test that is commercially available today can reliably quantify viral load to as low as 400 copies per milliliter of plasma; the new method extends this limit of quantification to 50 copies. The ne
An excellent two-hour summary of major practical themes from the 12th World AIDS Conference, intended primarily for HIV care providers, is now available in both text and audio on the Web. This program, two panel discussions sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service, the University of California San Francis
On June 27 Abbott held a conference call to inform the AIDS community that a manufacturing problem has halted production of ritonavir ( Norvir (TM)) capsules. The supply on hand will start to run out in August (some pharmacies may still have capsules later), and then patients will need to switch to the liquid formulati
A small trial at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) will test a new kind of HIV vaccine, plus standard antiretroviral therapy, to try to bring back HIV-specific immune responses in volunteers with relatively early HIV disease. This trial is open to persons who currently have a CD4 count of over 500, and who e
On July 30 Trimeris, Inc. announced a trial of T-20, an experimental drug based on an important new approach to antiretroviral treatment. This study, called TRI-003, will enroll up to 78 volunteers at 11 sites in 9 U.S. cities. It will be relatively easy to qualify for entry, since volunteers can be on any stable antir
On Wednesday, July 22, the University of California AIDS Research Institute will present The 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva, A Report Back to the Community. The event lasts from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., with poster displays from 1-2, presentations from 2-5, and a reception from 5-6. Audience questions are encouraged. Th
Persons with AIDS who have diarrhea (from any cause, including side effects of other drugs) which has lasted 14 days or more may be eligible for a study of PROVIR(TM) (SP- 303), an experimental drug derived from a plant long used in South America to treat diarrhea. This drug, being developed by Shaman Pharmaceuticals,
If you want more detailed information from the Geneva conference than you can get by reading newsletters or going to lectures, panel discussions, or teleconferences that may be available in your area, the best source by far at this time is the World Wide Web (often available today in public libraries, if you do not hav
On July 2 virologist Robert C. Gallo, M.D., told a plenary session of the 12th World AIDS Conference how growing knowledge of the life cycle of HIV has led to three antiretroviral approaches entirely different from treatments in use today. I. Fusion inhibitors. The CD4 molecule on the surface of certain cells (such as
Just before the 12th World AIDS Conference, researchers met at Lake Maggiore, Italy , for the 2nd International Workshop on HIV Drug Resistance and Treatment Strategies, June 24-27, 1998. There were well over 150 presentations, divided into seven workshop sessions: - New antiretrovirals; - Mechanisms of antiretrovi
One of the most important treatment developments at the 12th World AIDS Conference (Geneva, June 28 - July 3) was the report of new phase III data showing that efavirenz (brand name Sustiva , formerly known as DMP-266), used in combination with other treatment, may suppress viral load at least as well as the protease i
The July issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, now on the newsstands, includes an excellent 10-article special report on AIDS, written by leading experts in treatment, prevention, epidemiology, vaccines, and other topics. Most of our readers already have this information, but may find the issue useful for friends, colleagues,
A free, one-afternoon workshop for case managers, counselors, social workers, HIV service providers, and treatment advocates will provide training in how to help clients gain access to experimental or expensive treatments, and to find HIV information and resources on the Internet and elsewhere. This workshop, sponsored
Project Inform, located in San Francisco, is hiring an Information and Advocacy Associate Coordinator, to coordinate and develop Project Inform s advocacy efforts and treatment education materials on women-specific treatment issues (Project WISE) and treatments for a number of opportunistic infections. The projected hi
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has rewritten its World Wide Web directory site to coincide with our poster presentation at the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva ( Internet AIDS Information--Providing Quality Referrals, abstract #34218). We developed this site to refer users to some of the Internet AIDS treatment information we
About 12,000 people attended the 12th World AIDS Conference (Geneva, Switzerland , June 28 - July 3), the major international conference which takes place every two years. Unlike the previous meeting (Vancouver, July 7-12, 1996), where the big news was protease inhibitors , Geneva did not have
A poster at the 12th World AIDS Conference reported successful treatment of body fat redistribution in five patients(1). All showed improvement, from 25% to total resolution, usually with just a few weeks or months of the treatment; there was also improvement in truncal obesity in at least four of the patients. However
In what might be the most important treatment presentation at the 12th World AIDS Conference (Geneva, June 28 - July 3), New York University immunologist Fred Valentine, M.D., reported a striking return of HIV-specific immune responses from a multicenter controlled trial of REMUNE(TM) (the Salk HIV treatment vaccine, b
Going Back to Work If You Have HIV, presented by The Life Program and co-sponsored by Metropolitan Community Church, is a two-hour workshop every Thursday afternoon from July 9 to August 20, at the Metropolitan Community Church, 150 Eureka St., in San Francisco; in addition, in the week after there will be a job faire
This summer may be especially important for AIDS research, treatment access, services, prevention, and public policies. No one knows what may come out of Congress; we have talked to both optimists and pessimists. But everyone agrees that when Congress does move on AIDS funding this year, it will move very rapidly--beca
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has organized a two-hour discussion of the Federal Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection. This discussion will be transmitted by satellite downlink broadcasts on July 22 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time; a videotape may be ava
On June 3 the FDA approved ribavirin capsules for use in combination therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients with compensated liver disease who have relapsed following alpha interferon therapy. In the U.
On June 12 the Community Research Initiative on AIDS (CRIA), located in New York City, announced that it will begin two studies of metabolic disorders (fat redistribution, and blood sugar abnormalities) now being recognized more frequently in some persons with AIDS. * The first study will follow 30 people for three mon
An 83-page POCKET PROGRAMME is now being mailed to those who have registered for the conference. This booklet has travel and conference details, useful telephone numbers and office hours, maps, and other practical information. It also has the conference program (but not the titles and authors of the individual presenta
The World AIDS Conference, the most important single meeting on AIDS, now occurs once every two years; the last one was in Vancouver in July 1996, and the next will be in Durban, South Africa , July 9-14, 2000. This year over 10,000 people will attend the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva,
On June 11 Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Immune Response Corporation announced that they have agreed to collaborate on the final development and commercialization of Remune, an immune-based treatment for HIV. Remune is the HIV treatment vaccine developed by the late Dr. Jonas Salk. It is currently in a phase II
Recently the drug NTZ was rejected by an FDA advisory committee--even though it is widely agreed that NTZ appears to be safe and may have value for treating cryptosporidiosis and other intestinal parasites. The rejection happened because the major clinical trial comparing NTZ to placebo in people with cryptosporidiosis
We are looking for experts in two different areas who could volunteer to give us some technical pointers--probably through a few phone calls or email exchanges. (1) Email compatibility. We are quite familiar with email, and know how to send text-only messages with a short line length so that everybody can receive them
Our last issue announced a trial of the combination of ribavirin plus alpha interferon for treating hepatitis C in persons co-infected with HIV. It should have described this trial as the first study of [ribavirin plus interferon for] treating hepatitis C in persons who also have HIV. Due to our error, the words in br
Glaxo Welcome has issued a nationwide request for proposals to fund innovative programs in which incarcerated persons with HIV are linked to treatment programs while in prison or upon discharge. Grant sizes are expected to range from $10,000 to $50,000. These grants can be for new or existing/ongoing projects, in any g
Over a year ago we published a call for information about acetylcarnitine--a substance available from health-food stores, and also in clinical trials as a possible treatment for diabetic neuropathy (AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #267, March 21, 1997). At that time there was very little experience to report, since interest in the
An important medical marijuana study now recruiting will pay $1000 to volunteers who meet the entry criteria and successfully complete the trial. The main drawback is that you must spend 25 days in a research ward at San Francisco General Hospital--without leaving during that time, and without receiving visitors (due t
On May 15, 1998 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidelines for preventive treatment of healthcare workers accidentally exposed to HIV (for example, by being stuck with a contaminated needle). While these official guidelines do not discuss persons exposed through sex or sharing needle
Anyone taking both efavirenz and saquinavir should know that the combination can reduce the plasma level of saquinavir by about 60%--which will likely result in underdosing of the protease inhibitor. DuPont Merck (soon to be called DuPont Pharmaceuticals), the maker
On May 26 we attended the Medical Marijuana Distribution Summit, a three-hour hearing by the California Senate Committee on Public Safety, chaired by Senator John Vasconcellos. Over a dozen doctors, law enforcement officials, political representatives, activists, and other experts were invited to speak, and anyone coul
San Francisco s largest medical marijuana buyers club, the Cannabis Healing Center, was shut down on May 25 due to a court order obtained by state Attorney General Dan Lungren-- creating an emergency for thousands of persons with serious illnesses who were obtaining marijuana from the Center and are unable to get relie
One of the best general resource books for persons with HIV is THE GUIDE TO LIVING WITH HIV INFECTION, by John G. Bartlett, M.D. and Ann K. Finkbeiner, developed at the Johns Hopkins AIDS Clinic and published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The revised fourth edition is now available. This book focuses on the many p
On May 18 the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition will release 9 YEARS AND COUNTING, a 53-page agenda for action and report on the status of AIDS vaccine development. The title refers to a speech one year ago by President Clinton, in which he asked, Today, let us commit ourselves to developing an AIDS vaccine within the ne
The Global AIDS Program of the National Council for International Health (NCIH), in Washington, D.C., is helping to organize a symposium on Alternative and Traditional Healing Practices for the 12th World AIDS Conference (Geneva, Switzerland , June 28 to July 3, 1998). The symposium program will include: Research and T
Update on Wasting, Metabolism, and Altered Body Shape in HIV/AIDS, a one-day seminar for health professionals co- sponsored by Tufts University School of Medicine and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, will take place immediately before the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva, Switzerland , at the H
On May 6 the FDA s Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-1 against approval of NTZ for treatment of cryptosporidiosis, which causes severe diarrhea in persons with AIDS. The one community representative on the panel, Michael Marco of the Treatment Action Group (TAG), cast the vote for approval. A number of treatme
A May 2 research letter in THE LANCET, by AIDS, lipid, and cardiology specialists at Regions Hospital in St. Paul and the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, highlighted growing concerns that high cholesterol and other metabolic changes being seen in some HIV patients may be increasing the risk of he
AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research) is now beginning the first study of treating hepatitis C in persons who also have HIV. Trial sites are now opening in 14 U.S. cities, and a few others may be added. Volunteers will be randomly assigned to either interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin, or to th
On May 4 the FDA s Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approval of combination treatment with ribavirin plus interferon alpha for hepatitis C which had not been cured by interferon alone. Ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral long approved for oral use in almost every country of the world except the U.
Healing Alternatives Foundation, one of the nation s original AIDS buyers clubs, opened a new retail location at the corner of 18th and Castro Street. The organization also maintains one of the largest AIDS libraries open to the public, and will gradually move the library materials to the new location as well. HAF plan
The 15th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial and Mobilization will take place in hundreds of cities throughout the world on Sunday May 17. For more information, see http://www.hooked.net/~candle, or contact Mobilization Against AIDS, 415-863-4676, fax 415-863-4740, email candle@hooked.net. In San Francisco, a march
Last week s events around needle exchange provide an example of how email can be used for political mobilization--and suggest ways to use this medium effectively. On April 21--the day after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced its finding that needle exchange was effective in preventing HIV transm
This is AIDS TREATMENT NEWS third annual overview of antiretroviral drugs. The best use of these drugs is still evolving, but several ideas have become the foundation for the current standard of care: 1. The goal of effective treatment is to slow viral replication to undetectable limits. Today that usually requires at
Every year over 500,000 infants are infected with HIV from their mother, before or during birth or shortly after, and almost 500,000 children die. More than half of these infections and deaths could be prevented by treating pregnant women before birth. A recent clinical trial in Thailand showed that a less-intensiv
Using poppers --nitrate inhalants--at the same time as the new impotence drug VIAGRA(TM) (sildenafil) can cause dangerous hypotension--abnormally low blood pressure--because of the way the two drugs interact. VIAGRA developer Pfizer Inc. did not run interaction tests with the street drugs, but it did test combining VIA
Starting with our next issue, AIDS TREATMENT NEWS will begin a priority email delivery service at no additional charge. Subscribers with priority email delivery will receive an extra email copy about two working days before any newsletters arrive by postal mail--before the press sees the newsletter. They will also rece
Non-profit organizations that provide services to people with HIV and AIDS are eligible to apply for funding for communications initiatives that extend the distribution of information and simplify data presented at the 12th World AIDS Conference being held in Geneva, Switzerland , June 28- July 3. This nationwide re
People with HIV/AIDS and health-care professionals are invited to participate in a May 2 conference call at which they can ask questions of leading HIV/AIDS treatment experts. The call, sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and supported by an educational grant from Roche Laboratories , Inc., will take plac
A CLINICIAN S GUIDE TO NUTRITION IN HIV AND AIDS, written by three registered dietitians and peer-reviewed and published by the American Dietetic Association, is an authoritative guide that any AIDS medical professional should be familiar with and have available for reference. About half of the 178- page book is easily
On April 6 Gilead Sciences released results of two clinical trials of adefovir dipivoxil (PREVEON(TM)) for the potential treatment of HIV, and another trial of adefovir dipivoxil at a lower dose (30 mg) for hepatitis B . The hepatitis trial (which used HIV-negative volunteers) was clearly a major success, wit
Gilead Sciences has significantly broadened the entry criteria for access to PREVEON(TM) (adefovir dipivoxil), an experimental antiviral being tested for treatment of HIV. The new program will no longer require specific viral load or CD4 values, but is open to patients who have failed at least two nucleoside analogs
T-20 (also knows as pentafuside) a fusion inhibitor, is an entirely new kind of HIV treatment being developed by Trimeris, Inc., a small biotechnology company in Durham, North Carolina. Because of its complex and unique mechanism of action, this drug and its development have not been widely understood; they have been
The Eighth Annual California AIDS Lobby Day will take place Monday April 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Sacramento. Persons are asked to register by April 14 so that the organizers can set up appointments with their legislators. Some travel and hotel arrangements are being made for persons who need them; from Los
Now is a particularly good time to educate your U.S. representative on medical marijuana, and the importance of this issue to his or her constituents. The U.S. House of Representatives has delayed its vote on House Resolution 372, the anti-medicinal-marijuana resolution, until Tuesday April 21 at the earliest. This wou
Each year hundreds of people with AIDS and their supporters come to Washington to advocate for funding and commitment to HIV prevention, care, treatment, research, and housing. This year s program, the 7th annual, will start Sunday May 3 with a half-day briefing and training, followed by two days on Capitol Hill meetin
DuPont Merck has informed researchers, physicians, and patients using the experimental drug efavirenz ( Sustiva (TM), also known as DMP-266) that malformations were found in three of 13 monkey fetuses after their mothers were given the drug throughout their pregnancy,
Some triple-drug combinations not including a protease inhibitor have been proposed as protease sparing regimens, for certain patients who might want to start with a somewhat easier combination treatment and/or save the protease inhibitors for later. Last week, results of the one-year INCAS study (named for the countri
[Part I of this interview, published in issue #291, looked at different kinds of HIV-related fatigue, diagnosis issues, and treatment of hypogonadism in men and in women. Part II focuses on depression, anemia, and other causes of fatigue in persons with HIV.] Depression Dr. Capaldini: One of the most easily missed cond
A study of 1255 patients with at least one CD4 count under 100, published last week in THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, found that by the second quarter of 1997, the AIDS death rate had decreased to less than a third of what it had been in 1995; opportunistic infection rates decreased even more.(1) During this time
Washington rumors, so far unconfirmed, are that Jane Henny, M.D., may be nominated to become the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Henny, currently at the University of New Mexico, is a cancer researcher who was formerly a deputy commissioner at the FDA . She is largely unknown to the AIDS
Positive Choices: A Treatment Workshop by and for Women Living with HIV will be held Saturday March 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Oakland YWCA, Julia Morgan Tea Room, 1515 Webster St., Oakland, California. This workshop is free but registration is advised; for more information call Community Prescription Service, 800-8
Three AIDS physicians will discuss treatment strategy on a national conference call on March 25 (noon Pacific time, 1 p.m. Mountain, 2 p.m. Central, 3 p.m. Eastern). The doctors are Roy Gulick in New York, Stephen Follansbee in San Francisco, and Mary Romeyn in San Francisco. This call is organized by the San Francisco
A study of the medical records of 98 patients treated for 48 weeks found substantial increases in CD4 count even for those whose viral load never became undetectable. The patients whose treatment was interrupted had a much smaller CD4 benefit. These results add to the suggestions from elsewhere that highly active antir
On March 12 Glaxo Wellcome announced that its experimental drug abacavir (brand name Ziagen , formerly known as 1592) will become more widely available on March 23. Ziagen has already been provided to about 1,900 patients through a limited expanded access program which the company started last su
Lisa Capaldini, M.D., practices medicine in San Francisco and sees many patients with HIV; we interviewed her last August on protease inhibitor side effects. Recently she spoke in San Francisco on HIV-related fatigue. We conducted the following interview after attending that talk and seeing the public interest in the s
Many free publications and meetings for medical professionals and/or for patients are funded by an unrestricted educational grant from one or more pharmaceutical companies; these grants operate under FDA regulations designed to keep the sponsors from biasing the material. So far AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has not produced suc
On February 2 the FDA published rules which, when they become effective in February 1999, will require disclosure of certain financial arrangements between pharmaceutical companies and certain clinical investigators, when a drug is submitted for marketing approval. Most of this information will come from the companies,
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is recruiting persons with a CD4 count over 350 who do not plan to start antiretroviral therapy in the next year, for a phase II trial to determine the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous IL-2 without antiretrovirals for persons with relatively early HIV infecti
A six-week pharmacokinetic trial to see if the oral contraceptive Ortho Novum affects levels of the antiretroviral nevirapine , or vice versa, is now recruiting women in New York and San Francisco. Participants must have an undetectable viral load, CD4 count over 100, have no active infection, and be on a stable antire
Some recent advances can be particularly important for developing countries where about 90% of people with HIV live. Public support will be will be crucial in improving treatment access for more people. These issues are becoming more prominent during preparations for the 12th World AIDS Conference, June 28 - July 3 in
* New Threat to California Patients Access Thousands of patients who urgently need marijuana for major medical problems are again facing a possible cutoff of their supplies from the buyers clubs. The immediate problem is that on February 25 the California Supreme Court refused to review a decision of a California appea
Drug interactions are common in HIV treatment. But modern medical practice, with pressures to hurry due to cost control, may not leave enough time for physicians to make sure that they know about everything their patients are taking, and counsel them on potential risks. Not all drug interactions are harmful; some treat
AIDS Treatment News Issue #289 - February 20, 1998
John S. James
In-depth information from the 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections is available through conference abstracts, online summaries, and lectures with slides. Conference Abstracts These are available through the official conference Web site, http://www.retroconference.org. The search software works we
AIDS Treatment News Issue #289 - February 20, 1998
John S. James
The 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, February 1-5 in Chicago, was one of the most important AIDS scientific conferences, yet it left unanswered most of the immediate questions of physicians and patients. Much of the progress has been in basic science, opening doors for future research and de
AIDS Treatment News Issue #289 - February 20, 1998
John S. James
Recently physicians have noticed that some patients, being treated with a protease-inhibitor-containing regimen which failed to control the virus, still maintained a better CD4 (T-helper) count, and seemed to be doing better clinically, than would have been expected given their viral load. The most extensive report yet
On January 15 UNIMED Pharmaceuticals announced that it had applied to the FDA for permission to market NTZ(TM) (nitazoxanide) for treating cryptosporidial diarrhea in people with AIDS. The company, which submitted the NDA (new drug application) on December 30, asked for a rapid review, and expects that an FDA advisory
After meeting with advocates for people with AIDS, Gilead Sciences has agreed to remove the CD-4 and viral load requirements for entry into the expanded access program for adefovir dipivoxil (brand name PREVEON, formerly called bis- POM PMEA). This and other program changes must be approved by the
The 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, the largest AIDS research meeting in the United States , will take place February 1-5 in Chicago. Since we could not adequately cover the meeting and also produce a newsletter in the same week, we decided to publish this issue early and take more time for
Judy Greenspan, director of the HIV/AIDS in Prison Project of Catholic Charities of the East Bay, is widely recognized as a leading authority on HIV/AIDS and correctional policy, and testifies before state, national, and international scientific and government bodies on this topic. She is one of the founders of the Cal
Since about 1985 persons with HIV have been excluded from consideration for liver, kidney, heart, and other organ transplants--due to outdated information, inertia, and the idea that people with AIDS were about to die anyway so why waste a scarce organ. In fact, even ten years ago organ transplants to HIV-positive pati
On January 14 the Gay Men s Health Crisis, the nation s largest AIDS service organization, announced that it had changed its position and now supported a new monitoring system to report cases of HIV infection in New York State, through a system of unique identifiers for patients (instead of patients names) to provide t
On January 8 the National AIDS Fund announced scholarships of up to $3,500 for persons involved in community-based service organizations to attend the 12th World AIDS Conference, June 28 - July 3, in Geneva, Switzerland . Applicants must be actively involved in community-based HIV/AIDS organizations. Preference will be
This meeting is designed for physicians, scientists and other health professionals trained in nutrition and HIV/AIDS disease management. The overall objective is to evaluate the scientific data concerning the role of micronutrients in the treatment of HIV or AIDS. Specific focus will be placed on the antioxidants (vit
The new information on antiinflammatory effects of marijuana [see Marijuana, Inflammation, and CT-3... above] is also relevant to the case of Will Foster in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This case shows the need for legal recognition of medical marijuana, and other law reform. In January 1997 Will Foster, who ran a software busines
On January 9 the Clinton Administration filed suits to close six medical marijuana buyers clubs in Northern California; a dozen other clubs operating in the state were not named. This action came more than a year after California voters passed Proposition 215 to allow use of marijuana for medical purposes, and a few da
Rheumatoid arthritis researchers are testing CT-3, a synthetic derivative of a metabolite of marijuana, as a potentially new kind of experimental antiinflammatory drug-- without the gastric and other side effects of today s non- steroidal antiinflammatories, and without the psychoactive effect or high of marijuana. The
** January First Annual Immune Function and Surrogate Markers: Setting the Goal Line, January 9-11, Baltimore. Contact Jeffrey Meshulam, Institute of Human Virology, 410-706-8614, fax 410- 706-1952, email ihvinfo@umbi.umd.edu. Pain Management and Chemical Dependency, January 15-17, New York. Contact: Imedex USA, Inc.,
Persons who are HIV positive--preferable with CD4 count under 300, and no major active opportunistic infections--can contribute to research at the Herzenberg Immunology Laboratory at Stanford University by donating blood for testing. The blood draw (two large and two small tubes of blood) will take place in San Francis
On December 17 the DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company announced more flexible eligibility criteria for expanded access to efavirenz ( Sustiva , also known as DMP-266). Now, U.S. patients who have ever had a CD4 count under 400 can be eligible; before, they had to have a count of less than 50 within the last 90 days.
At this time there is more good news on treatments than bad. And in research, at least as much progress is happening today as at any time. Treatment development today does not have a high profile, however, since there is no single big picture, as there was when the protease inhibitors and modern cocktails were in
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.