On December 18 the first report was presented from a new study of the prevalence of drug-resistant HIV in U.S. patients in early 1999.1 This study found that somewhere between 50 and 78 percent of these patients (depending on how you count patients whose viral resistance could not be measured) had some degree of reduce
[Note: Part 1 of this article appeared in AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #374, November 23, 2001.] Detecting Acute HIV Infection Shortly after getting infected with HIV, many patients have an acute (or primary ) HIV infection, a period of flu-like illness with symptoms like fever and malaise that could be caused by influenza or m
A one-hour review of the most important AIDS and hepatitis news at the 41st Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC, Chicago, December 16-19) is available without charge through a toll-free phone number. You can hear a recording of a one-hour teleconference with leading experts, which took place in t
On December 4 researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published an early report of their 7-day-on/7-day-off trial of antiretrovirals.(1) This study found that a handful of selected patients, with a selected antiretroviral regimen, were able to use the drugs intermittently, with a s
AIDS Treatment News - Number 375, December 21, 2001
John S. James
A study at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that garlic supplements reduced blood levels of the protease inhibitor saquinavir by 51%. The garlic preparation, an amount equivalent to about two 4-gram cloves per day, was taken for 21 days by healthy HIV-negative volunteers.
[Note: On November 9, 2001, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued two revised guidelines encouraging health care providers to routinely offer HIV testing more often. The goal is to increase the number of people who know their HIV status. These guidelines are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/ctr
On November 26 South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), supported by about 200 doctors, sued the South African government, asking for wider use of nevirapine to prevent mother-to-infant transmission of HIV. About 70,000 infants every year are born with HIV in South Africa, and about half of these infections at b
A November 22 article in the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE reported on a cohort of 1028 HIV-infected children studied from 1996 through 1999(1). After statistical analysis to adjust for the fact that those starting treatment tended to be sicker, the study found that introduction of an antiretroviral regimen including
On November 15 ViroLogic, Inc. announced a new testing service that combines phenotypic and genotypic resistance testing on a single report. The new test, named PhenoSense GT, is expected to be used especially for patients whose treatment is complicated by difficult or complex HIV resistance. The company expects to get
A U.S. National Institutes of Health study of 124 pediatric and adult patients taking protease inhibitors for the first time found that the change in viral load in the first six days of the treatment was able to predict many cases of poor response of the regimen by week 12. Therefore treatment could be changed quickly
To help journalists and others interested in HIV/AIDS issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation has created a World AIDS Day web page, http://www.kff.org/worldaidsday/ World AIDS Day is December 1. There is little central organizing; instead, local agencies and communities do their own events. As a result, there is no over
In the U.S. Congress, 8 Senators and more than 70 Representatives have signed a Dear Colleague letter seeking 1.2 billion dollars in emergency supplemental funding for the global AIDS crisis. The letter will soon be sent to President Bush. Despite the great costs resulting from the September 11 attacks, the money is av
A November 7 press report ( All-Purpose Drugs Are Being Tested, by Jeff Donn, The Associated Press) surveyed some of the work being done on finding drugs to treat many diseases -- the opposite of the traditional magic bullet approach of targeting only one particular bacterium or virus. Many of these all purpose potenti
A small and difficult T-20 expanded-access program will begin receiving phone calls from U.S. physicians on November 27 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. The first 56 eligible physicians will be accepted. Each physician must have exactly 3 patients who qualify for this program when they call. The 168 patients accepted will be
On October 26 the FDA approved Viread (tm) -- generic name tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or tenofovir DF. The approval was expected; less expected was the broad indication, which both the company and treatment activists wanted, but which some of the advisory committee had questioned (see
** Online Petition Through November 2 See note at the end of this article. ** Huge Mining Company Says It Cannot Treat Low-Income Workers According to an October 9 article in the FINANCIAL TIMES, the London-based company Anglo American decided it could not provide antiretroviral treatment to most of its employees in
The most complete recent list we have seen of anti-HIV drugs in development -- over 60 total, including the approved drugs -- was posted recently by Ben Cheng of Project Inform, on the Web site of the new AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition. The list, at http://www.atac-usa.org/RDACommittee.html (scroll down, or click on
The 2nd annual women s conference by NATAP (National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project) will take place Saturday November 3, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the New York University Medical Center, Auditorium E & F, 401 East 30th St (between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive). There is no charge, but preregistration is required and
The XIV International AIDS Conference will take place in Barcelona, Spain , July 7-12, 2002; this conference meets in different countries every even-numbered year. While not difficult to get into, the International Conference is expensive except for media (due to frills which developed early and have resisted protests
The important 9th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections will take place February 24-28, 2002, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. This conference has always been full, and this year will be limited to 3,800. Registration is also limited to certain categories of
Two independent studies published September 6, 2001, in the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE(1,2) found that persons with HIV who were also infected with a virus not known to cause disease had a much lower death rate than those who were not infected -- with the risk of death being reduced about two to four times, depend
The FDA s one-day public hearing on tenofovir (brand name Viread™), a new antiretroviral being developed by Gilead Sciences , took place October 3 near Washington D.C. (see AIDS TREATMENT NEWS # 370, August 24, 2001). This meeting of the Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee (a group of outside experts convened by the FDA
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
In May 2001, when David Scondras was in Malawi , the headlines on the May 19-20 WEEKEND NATION newspaper read, Few on the AIDS drugs; Babies May Be Saved; No Hope for the Poor. Almost the whole front page was devoted to the epidemic. Scondras was there working with health experts from Malawi and the U.S. trying to chan
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
At a September 19 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on access to medicines, 52 developing countries asked the members of the WTO (World Trade Organization) to agree that rules on international patent protection (known as TRIPS) be interpreted in ways that allow governments to ensure access to affordable medicines; they we
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) is running out of money in increasing numbers of states; already hundreds of people who cannot pay for drugs through insurance or out of pocket are not getting the medicines they need. The ADAP Working Group is an industry-activist coalition to seek funding for this program, whic
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
Due to the recent terrorist attack and concerns about air travel, the 41st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), originally scheduled for September 22-25 in Chicago, has been postponed until December 16-19; it will be held at the McCormick Place in Chicago. This conference focuses pr
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
The American Foundation for AIDS Research has announced targeted research grants up to $75,000, fellowships, and travel grants, for studies of new viral and cellular targets for anti-HIV agents, including use of combinatorial libraries. The letter of intent is due 5 p.m. October 23, 2001. More information and applicati
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research is sponsoring a one-day meeting on HIV and hepatitis C coinfection on October 11 in Washington D.C. Speakers will focus on the pathogenesis, prevalence, and treatment of coinfection with the goal of highlighting what we do and do not know to identify the need for additional rese
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Thoracic Society have issued new guidelines calling for more caution in using the two-month regimen of rifampin and pyrazinamide. The change resulted from reports of 21 cases of severe liver injury with the two-drug regimen. Five of these patients died, and 16 recov
AIDS Treatment News Issue #371, September 21, 2001
John S. James
Several major AIDS organizations in Manhattan were in the disaster area near the World Trade Center. It appears that everyone in those offices got out alive, although some lost friends or relatives. The long-term consequences for the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis , malaria, and other major infectious diseases
The 2001 North American AIDS Treatment Action Forum (NATAF) will be held December 2-5 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver, Canada . The forum is designed to educate individuals interested in becoming HIV/AIDS advocates and educators; to enhance their skills and knowledge; and to develop inclusive, n
It is especially important now for U.S. citizens to let their two Senators know they are concerned about funding to control AIDS and other infectious diseases around the world. The Democrats have been worse on this issue than the Republicans -- not because they are opposed, but because they do not think people care. Ca
Twenty-one U.S. AIDS treatment activists met for three days in August and began to outline a new coalition to improve AIDS research, treatment access, and empowerment of new activists in communities most affected by the epidemic. The August 17-19 meeting, hosted by The Center for AIDS: Hope and Remembrance Project in H
[Note: Abnormally high levels of homocysteine in the blood are associated with increased risk of heart disease, and a number of other diseases as well. These high levels can be detected by a blood test, and are often caused by dietary deficiencies that can be corrected. [Reducing disease risk by controlling homocystein
On October 3 the FDA s Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee will hold a public hearing on tenofovir (full chemical name tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or tenofovir DF; new brand name Viread (TM)), an antiretroviral developed by Gilead Sciences and currently in pre-approval expanded access.
A study of 182 patients at a major hospital in France suggests that HIV protease inhibitors may help to reduce liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with both HIV and hepatitis C .(1) This study, conducted in patients with both hepatitis C and HIV,
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has started an email list anyone can join, to provide AIDS-related information from the Agency. The official announcement, below, gives details. Note: The sign-up process shows users confusing options -- but they can be ignored. Just stay with the defaults provided, unless you know
On August 5 the Treatment Action Group circulated a 3-page job announcement and description for Basic Science Project Director. The full announcement may be available through http://treatmentactiongroup.org From the announcement: Job Description. The Basic Science Project Director will be responsible for developing and
On July 31 the Medscape Web site, named the official provider of online coverage for the new International AIDS Society conference which took place July 8-11, 2001 in Buenos Aires, Argentina , released three Continuing Medical Education programs for medical professionals. Anyone can use them for a review of current kno
AIDS Vaccine 2001, a major scientific conference on AIDS vaccine development, will take place September 5-8 at the Philadelphia Marriott. Sponsors include the U.S. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNAIDS , the World Health Organization , and the Agence Nationale de Re
On July 20 an erroneous Reuters report on structured treatment interruption (STI -- also called structured intermittent therapy, or SIT), titled Experts Caution Against an AIDS Therapy, appeared in several newspapers, including the Web site of THE NEW YORK TIMES. The report said that STI does not work, and quoted Dr. B
How to change the lack of political will now blocking worldwide AIDS control. World consciousness on the HIV epidemic in developing countries -- about 90% of the global epidemic -- has changed greatly in the last three years. In 1998 the World AIDS Conference in Geneva took the theme Bridging the Gap -- meaning the gap
Each summer there is a small, invitation-only International Workshop on HIV Drug Resistance and Treatment Strategies; this year the 5th workshop in this series was held June 4- 8, 2001 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Recently, a 9000-word detailed technical report of this meeting, written by leading HIV researcher Daniel R. Ku
Johns Hopkins University will offer a 2-day update for primary care providers on HIV care for women, July 26 and 27. This course is designed to offer support to the primary care provider in caring for HIV-positive women. Specific clinical problems, their evaluation and management, epidemiology and scope of HIV infectio
Few moments in the history of the AIDS epidemic have been as pivotal as the speech South African High Court Justice Edwin Cameron gave one year ago at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa. In a talk that SCIENCE magazine writer Jon Cohen recently called one of the most remarkable acts of activism I
Twenty commentaries on the current status of AIDS research, by researchers, clinicians, and community members from varying disciplines, experience and backgrounds appear in the Summer 2001 issue of CRIA Update, published by the Community Research Initiative on AIDS. These brief summaries offer diverse and informed view
A new scientific conference created by the International AIDS Society (IAS) took place July 8-11 in Buenos Aires. Even before the first meeting, the 1st IAS Conference on Pathogenesis and Treatment had emerged as an important conference, with about 3,000 scientists attending and 748 scientific presentations (out of abo
This past April the Pennsylvania State Legislature proposed using a names-based reporting system to track HIV infection in Pennsylvania. Many in the HIV/AIDS community oppose such an approach, since the collection of HIV-positive individuals names and personal information may cause fewer people to seek testing and thre
We cannot wait for governments to find the political will to deal with AIDS just through their own bureaucratic processes. The initiative must come from people in all areas of life -- including government, industry, the professions, and the general public. The world has more than enough resources to deal with HIV/AIDS
The 189 member states of the United Nations General Assembly met June 25-27, 2001, and unanimously approved a document that can be an important tool around the world for urging governments and others to take responsibility for helping to control the global epidemic. Almost everyone agrees that the meeting was largely a
Longtime SCIENCE reporter Jon Cohen has earned a reputation as one of the most perceptive observers of HIV/AIDS research. In his recent book, SHOTS IN THE DARK: THE WAYWARD SEARCH FOR AN AIDS, (Norton and Co., 2001) he analyzed the disorganization and lack of coordination in the AIDS vaccine research effort. He argued
Almost half of all states have already indicated that they may have to restrict their AIDS Drug Assistance Program by the end of 2001. Restrictions can include waiting lists, caps on services, cutting drugs off the formulary, or even closing the program to new enrollment because money is low. Additional states may be a
A 67-page background report on mitochondrial toxicity -- widely suspected though not proven to be a basic cause of many serious side effects of certain antiretrovirals -- has been published on the Web by the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research. Since this paper reports on a meeting that took place June 5-6, 2000, read
A 54-page background report on bone disease in persons with HIV (including avascular necrosis, and also osteopenia) can be found in Bone Metabolism and HIV Disease Meeting Report, published by the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research. Contents include: * Bone disease and HIV * Overview of the local regulation of bone
A creative new idea on using existing patent laws and procedures to deal with the conflict between intellectual property and access to medication in developing countries was posted on the World Bank s Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics ( A Patent Proposal for Global Diseases, by Jean O. Lanjouw, Yale Unive
On June 25-27 the entire United Nations General Assembly will focus on AIDS. The goal is worldwide commitment and consensus on dealing with the epidemic. The negotiations leading up to this Special Session have been contentious, even more so than most diplomatic meetings. No matter what the outcome, this meeting will b
Summary: The new affordability of treatment in poor countries made possible the unprecedented high-level mobilization against global AIDS earlier this year, by transforming AIDS in poor regions from an unsolvable tragedy to a moral issue and chance to save lives. But then a backlash turned funders against treatment --
On June 25 - June 27 the United Nations will hold an historic special session on AIDS, often called UNGASS (United Nations General Assembly Special Session). Two preparatory sessions were scheduled to allow official delegates and civil society to interact; the last one was May 21-25. The United Nations also set up an e
Dozens of organizations have called for a march and rally in New York on June 23, just before the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS). Some international delegates and organizers who have traveled to New York for the United Nations session are planning to join the march. Sponsors include th
On May 17 Serono, Inc. and the U.S. FDA warned that new counterfeit drug labeled Serostim had been found. There had been a warning of a previous case of counterfeit Serostim in January of this year. From the press release: Serono, Inc. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are informing distr
On May 10 Amgen Inc. warned medical professionals that counterfeit vials labeled as Neupogen (filgrastim) have been found in the United States (but not in other countries at that time). These vials contain a clear liquid, but no active ingredient -- a fraud that could be life-threatening to patients. The Amgen Web
David Scondras, Search For A Cure, and John S. James, AIDS Treatment News
Background HIV infection causes the body to produce large amounts of antibodies -- specialized proteins produced by the immune system to fight infecting bacteria or other organisms. But most of the antibodies produced in response to HIV infection are not effective in stopping the virus -- and some of them may even incr
Because we have been more than a month behind our twice- monthly publication schedule, we will not publish any issues dated April 2001. All subscriptions will be extended a month to compensate, so subscribers will receive the same number of issues. Our previous issue, #363, was dated March 30. This issue, #364, is date
[Note: This article is part of our series answering the AIDS denialists, who say that HIV does not cause AIDS and who often urge patients to reject medical advice. Writer Bruce Mirken prepared this simple-language version to help agencies prepare materials for their clients.] If you are being treated for HIV or AIDS, y
Documents in the lawsuit by 39 pharmaceutical companies against Nelson Mandela and the government of South Africa , dropped April 19 after becoming a public-relations disaster for the companies, are available on the TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) Web site, http://www.tac.org.za From the other side, the International
The Treatment Action Group (TAG), a New York-based nonprofit organization focusing on AIDS research and treatment policy, is hiring a policy director. From the announcement: The Policy Director will have a broad-based background incorporating an understanding of science, government, and policy, and ideally would have e
A pilot study in Rhode Island, allowing physicians to prescribe syringes in order to reduce that state s exceptionally high rate of HIV infection among injection drug users, not only reduced needle sharing as hoped, but also helped some patients get into drug treatment programs and quit their drug abuse entirely. These
On May 4 the U.S. Public Health Service released an updated version of the official guidelines for use of antiretrovirals to reduce perinatal HIV transmission. The following sections have been changed: * Antiretroviral Clinical Scenarios (beginning on page 17); * Recommendations for Monitoring of Women and Their Infant
On May 20 the annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is taking place at more than 500 communities around the world. More information, including local contacts, is at http://www.candlelightmemorial.org
On June 3 over 100 organizations, including the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, National Minority AIDS Council, National Association of People with AIDS, Project Inform, Gay Men s Health Crisis, and many ACT UP chapters will mark the 20th year of the AIDS crisis with a march on the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufa
Tenofovir , Gilead Sciences candidate reverse transcriptase inhibitor, could be approved in about six months. In an unexpected move, the company announced May 1 that it had filed a New Drug Application with the FDA .
The major international AIDS conference takes place every two years, and the next one will be in Barcelona, Spain , July 7-12, 2002. The organizer of this conference, Fundacio Barcelona AIDS 2002, is seeking a scientific program coordinator. From the April 12 announcement: Scientific Programme Coordinator Programme
The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), working with the U.S. Office of AIDS Research (OAR), will be holding a series of 4-day workshops on partnerships between U.S. and African AIDS organizations. Two African organizers -- selected by a coalition of African organizations -- will attend each of these workshops. The
In our last issue we reviewed the new AmFAR HIV/AIDS TREATMENT DIRECTORY, and suggested contacting the AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research) New York office for a copy. That office cannot handle the volume of requests, and asked us to let readers know that they can obtain a free copy from the National Preve
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) means measuring the level of a drug actually found in the blood (or inside certain blood cells), in order to adjust the drug dose up or down, either to make sure there is enough to inhibit HIV or to avoid side effects. The reason for measuring drug levels is that people are different,
Introduction On March 15 the European Parliament adopted the following resolution on access to HIV and other treatment in poor countries. It is not widely known in the U.S., so we are reprinting it here. Paragraph number 6 (see below), on the TRIPS agreement, was particularly fought for by international AIDS activists.
Interview with Paul Davis and Asia Russell, by John S. James
Earlier this year Paul Davis and Asia Russell traveled to Paris to help plan the Summit on Generics, a meeting for health ministers from developing countries and others, originally scheduled for May 3-7 in Burkina Faso , West Africa -- shortly before the important World Health Assembly in Geneva. Activists from Paris a
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is usually published on the first and third Friday of each month. This month we are behind, and this issue, the first in March, actually went to the printer on March 29. To avoid confusion in the future, we want to maintain our schedule of two issues each month. This month, to make the publication d
The 300-page HIV/AIDS TREATMENT DIRECTORY (volume 11, number 1, winter 2001), is available without charge from AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research) in New York. Major sections include: * treatments for HIV infection (listed alphabetically within each of three categories, FDA-approved drugs, experimental ag
This year is the 10th annual AIDSWatch, which brings hundreds of people to Washington to help educate their Senators and Representative on AIDS issues. AIDSWatch this year will address funding for HIV prevention, AIDS research, care and treatment (including ADAP and other Ryan White programs), housing, substance abuse
The FDA is taking its most active role to date in encouraging drug companies to address the needs of persons with HIV who have exhausted all their treatment options. Due to a long history of drug failures, these people require innovative salvage therapies that are unaffected by the drug resistance their HIV has built u
The last year has brought historic change in world consensus -- from writing off and abandoning almost everyone with HIV in African and other poor countries, to serious discussion of how treatment could be provided to many or most who need it. The key to this change was the widespread realization that HIV treatment cou
The American Foundation for AIDS Research ( AmFAR ) is hiring a medical editor for its treatment publications, including the AmFAR HIV/AIDS Treatment Directory. This job is at the organization s New York City location. The Editor will develop and edit style, accuracy and comprehensiveness of treatment information for v
The first regional Southern African conference on home care for persons with HIV took place March 5-8, 2001 in Gabarone, Botswana . Internet reports, written by correspondents from South Africa , Uganda , Botswana, and Ghana are available at: http://www.
On March 19 we received the following announcement from M‚decins Sans Fronti‚res (Doctors Without Borders), asking for signatures on their online petition by April 15: M‚decins Sans Fronti‚res (MSF) asks you to support South Africa s efforts to make essential medicines more accessible to its people by signing the globa
On March 7 Merck & Co. Inc. announced it would sell Crixivan (R) (indinavir) in some poor countries for $600 per patient per year, and Stochrin(R) (efavirenz, better known in the U.S. as Sustiva (R)) for $500.
The new GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL AGENTS IN HIV-INFECTED ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS were released February 5; they are available at many Web sites, but the official site for all the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HIV treatment guidelines is the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service, http://www
The March 1, 2001 issue of THE HOPKINS HIV REPORT has several short, focused summaries of some of the important treatment information from the recent Retroviruses conference (8th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Chicago, February 4-8, 2001). Written for practitioners caring for patients with HIV
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS is usually published on the first and third Friday of each month. This year our February issues have been delayed, due to our move from San Francisco. To reduce confusion later, we are publishing two February issues; these will be dated February 23 (the last Friday in February), and February 28 (the
On March 5 many of the world s biggest pharmaceutical companies go to court in South Africa , against the South African government s post-Apartheid reform of its medicines law. For three years this lawsuit has kept South Africa from implementing its reforms. The March 5 protest, organized on short notice after the tria
Two years ago almost nothing was being done about access to medical treatment in Africa and other developing countries; today so much is happening that nobody could make a complete list. Powerful people and institutions are looking for a path forward. Clearly, workable solutions are within reach -- and providing this t
A new kind of potential treatment is about to begin its first human trial in San Francisco. A drug called Z-100 (also called Ancer 20) has been approved for years in Japan and used by thousands of patients there to stimulate growth of blood cells after cancer therapy; doctors use it when filgrastim (Neupogen(R)) would
On February 1 Gilead Sciences announced a much-enlarged expanded access program for tenofovir DF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), a potentially important new drug which is now in a phase III clinical trial with over 500 treatment-experienced patients (averaging more than five years of HIV treatment b
The rate of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men in San Francisco is continuing to rise, a panel of experts said January 24. The group of epidemiologists, city health officials and AIDS prevention experts convened in a special consensus meeting estimated that 2.2 percent of gay and bisexual men who don t injec
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS moved to Philadelphia starting January 2. We apologize for delays and glitches which have occurred during this move. We now have our direct phone line, so we can be reached either toll-free at 800-TREAT-1-2, or at 215-546-3776; both numbers come in on the same line, so there is no need to call twice
Activist Brian Klein of the Hepatitis C Action and Advocacy Coalition (HAAC), who is now taking a break from intensive activism, particularly recommends two Web sites for hepatitis C information: www.HCVadvocate.org, and www.HIVandHepatitis.com Also, I strongly urge those of you who are advocates to participate in t
(1) The World Trade Organization is convening a panel on a United States complaint against Brazil s internationally praised AIDS program, which manufactures low-cost generic copies of antiretroviral drugs and makes them available without charge to patients. The U.S. complaint threatens the Brazilian AIDS policy, which
According to recent news reports, the Bush Administration is considering revoking the executive order Clinton signed last May, that the U.S. would not require stricter patent protection of AIDS medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa than is required by the intellectual-property provisions of the World Trade Organization. This
On March 5 a lawsuit by several dozen international pharmaceutical companies against the government of South Africa is scheduled to go to trial. For three years already this lawsuit has prevented South Africa from implementing post-Apartheid reform of its medicine laws. The case has been little known in the U.S., excep
Civil society throughout the world (including nonprofits and businesses, especially in developing countries) has been invited to participate in a United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS, June 25-27, 2001. For most organizations it will be difficult to participate in person, but they can join a s
The 2001 National Conference on African Americans and AIDS will take place February 19-20, 2001 at the Washington D.C. Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street NW, Washington D.C. Due to the late notice this year, registrations will be accepted at the door, and conference organizers are determined that no one will be turned a
On January 27 IAVI (the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative) announced that the first HIV vaccine designed specifically for Africa will begin human trials, after approval by the government of Kenya . From the IAVI announcement: The preventive vaccine candidate is based upon subtype A of HIV, the most common strain in
A free one-hour telephone conference with a panel of leading physicians, allowing you to ask questions, will report highlights of the important Retroviruses conference (8th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, February 4-8, 2001, in Chicago). The call will take place February 7, 2001, 5 p.m. Pacific
On January 5 the FDA and Bristol Myers Squibb warned healthcare professionals about cases of lactic acidosis, which can be fatal, in pregnant women using d4T ( Zerit (R)) plus ddI (
HIV-negative persons taking antiretrovirals for postexposure prophylaxis--prevention of infection immediately after a needlestick or sexual exposure to HIV-- should avoid using nevirapine except in unusual situations, according to recommendations published in the January 5 MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) b
Civil society throughout the world (including nonprofits and businesses, especially in developing countries) has been invited to participate in a United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS, June 25-27, 2001. If your organization wants to send an accredited representative, then unfortunately the dea
In the three years since it started, the New Mexico AIDS InfoNet has become widely recognized as perhaps the best overall collection of single-page fact sheets on AIDS treatment information. It now maintains over 100 of them, each in English and Spanish. Topics include background on HIV and AIDS, blood tests and what t
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has moved to Philadelphia, and is now being published with Philadelphia FIGHT. Editorial policies will not change; John S. James is still editor and publisher, and remains in complete control of the content. This move frees us from the administrative work of maintaining a separate office, and gives
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.