CDC Broadcast: "Preparing for the Return of SARS: Are we ready?"

This public health training live satellite broadcast assists healthcare providers in preparing to diagnose and manage patients with SARS should cases be suspected or identified in the coming months. This two-part training session aims to provide updated information required to identify and manage patients with SARS, and to prevent transmission of SARS in healthcare facilities and the community. Program details can be viewed at www.phppo.cdc.gov/ PHTN/SARS-return.
CDC, 9/11/03

Merck Starts Global Human Trial of HIV Vaccine

Merck & Co. announced that it has started the first global human trials of an experimental AIDS vaccine, in collaboration with Seattle-based HIV Vaccine Trials Network. This study, which is being conducted in 18 cities in North America, South America, the Caribbean, southern African and southeast Asia, includes about 435 adult volunteers not infected with HIV. The goal of the trials is to determine whether the vaccine candidate is safe, has tolerable side effects, is practical to administer in different areas of the world, and stimulates an immune response. Diverse testing sites are critical, as different strains of HIV circulate in different regions. Since the vaccine is made from a modified cold virus, and does not contain any live HIV, there is no risk of causing HIV infection.
Associated Press, 9/19/03

FDA Approves Schering Drug for Hepatitis C

Schering-Plough Corporation said it had received Food and Drug Administration approval for a prefilled penlike syringe that administers a drug for chronic hepatitis C. The device, the PEG-Intron Redipen, was designed to be simpler to use than a traditional vial and syringe. Schering-Plough, based in Kenilworth, N.J., said it expected to make the product available in the United States in early 2004. It is already available in Europe and other international markets.
New York Times, 10/14/03

Study: Switching from a PI to an NNRTI is Safe for Patients with Undetectable Viral Load

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) presents data that suggests treatment regimens containing nevirapine or efavirenz offer comparable efficacy and safety to patients with an undetectable viral load who switched from a protease inhibitor- (PI) based regimen. Both are non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) that are used in combination with other antiretroviral therapies to treat patients with HIV-1 infection. The nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), abacavir, was also evaluated in the study. According to investigators, there was a trend towards higher failure rates in patients who switched to abacavir. The results of the study are significant because physicians are seeking alternatives to PI regimens due to their high pill burden and food restrictions or concerns about metabolic side effects.
www.aegis.org/news/pr2003/PR030923.html

Study: DOT Does Not Ensure HIV Treatment Adherence

Directly observed therapy (DOT) for HIV infection is commonly used in correctional settings; however, the efficacy of DOT for treating HIV infection has not been confirmed. A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assessed adherence to antiretroviral therapy regimens among 31 HIV-infected prison inmates who were receiving > 1 antiretrovirals via DOT. Adherence was measured by self-report, pill count, electronic monitoring caps, and, for DOT only, medication administration records. Objective methods of measurement revealed that adherence to antiretroviral regimens administered wholly or in part by DOT was < or = 90% in more than one-half of the patients. Different methods used to measure adherence revealed significantly different levels of adherence. These findings suggest that use of DOT does not ensure adherence to antiretroviral therapy.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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©1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003. The recently formed HIV Education Prison Project (HEPP) is a medical education program that targets a growing population, inmates in correctional facilities, that has been underserved in HIV care. It is part of the Brown University AIDS Program. Permission to use and reproduce portions of this newsletter is hereby granted provided that author and publication are fully credited and both copyright and permission notice appear with reprinted material. Inquiries may be directed to heppnews@brown.edu. Website: HIV Education Prison Project.

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