People with visual impairments can now obtain AIDS Treatment Update free each month on audio tape. For more information, call NAM s Subscription Department on 0171-627 3200.
The next NAM treatment forum will examine the evidence on whether people with HIV are at risk from re-exposure to HIV. It will take place on Monday 27th April from 7pm to 9pm in Room 101 of the University of London Union, Malet Street, London W1. For details, call Henry on 0171-627 3208.
Act quickly if you want one of the last few copies of NAM s recent booklets on viral load and nutrition! Call NAM s Subscription Department on 0171-627 3200 for your free personal copy, or for details on ordering bulk supplies.
The April 1998 edition of NAM s HIV & AIDS Treatments Directory is now available. Fully updated with research findings from the latest conferences, it includes up-to-date information on the latest licensed and experimental drugs, opportunistic infections, medical tests and clinical trials. A comprehensive chapter r
New funding arrangements for Health Authorities will not alter the ability of people with HIV to choose to attend a clinic outside their own Health Authority. The Department of Health has changed the way it funds Health Authorities to meet the cost of treating new patients. For people who are diagnosed HIV-positive and
Hydroxyurea is a cheap, licensed drug used in the treatment of some forms of leukaemia. A few years ago, researchers found that it can also boost the antiviral effects of ddI in test-tube studies (see AIDS Treatment Update issue 26). The Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections held in Chicago in F
In issue 61/62, AIDS Treatment Update reported on the first cases of body changes that appear to be related to protease inhibitor (PI) treatment. At the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago, more evidence emerged. Lipodystrophy involves the loss of the thin layer of fat under the ski
Only a few years ago, before the arrival of viral load tests in clinics, the health of people with HIV and the effects of treatments were assessed mainly by monitoring changes in CD4 count, as well as physical signs and symptoms. More recently, much of the HIV treatment field has been fixated on virological issues (suc
The manufacturers of saquinavir , Roche Products, have recommended that many people currently taking the hard gel formulation of saquinavir (brand name Invirase ) should switch to the new, more potent soft gel formulation (brand name
In January 1998, the protease inhibitor nelfinavir was approved for marketing in Europe. However, Roche has reported that due to high demand, commercial supplies will not be available in pharmacies until early May. In the meantime, the company will provide nelfinavir through the existing named patient basis scheme, and
Studies of abacavir (formerly known as 1592U89) have found that a very small minority of people are at risk of developing a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Between three and five percent of people starting abacavir in a number of studies have experienced the unpredictable reaction, usually one to four w
Two studies presented at the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago have raised concerns about the wisdom of so-called `subtractive or `step-down approaches to anti-HIV therapy - stopping some of your anti-HIV drugs after viral load has become undetectable. The studies were testing whe
For a proportion of people, combination therapy that includes a protease inhibitor (PI) fails to achieve and sustain `undetectable viral load. This article examines the practical options if you and your doctor decide that it s time to switch from your current protease inhibitor. >>Switching after protease failure
Although the protease inhibitors (PI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drugs regularly hog the headlines, most treatment regimens are still based on a combination of two of the five licensed nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Many studies comparing different NRTI com
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
The Medical Research Council recently provided preliminary results of the Quattro trial to participating clinics and through them to participants. The trial recruited people with CD4 counts between 50 and 350 who had not taken anti-HIV drugs before, and randomised them to receive at least 64 weeks treatment consisting
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Scientists at the University of Miami have found that people with HIV who had a deficiency of the mineral selenium were 20 times more likely to die of HIV-related causes than people with normal blood levels of selenium, writes Keith Alcorn. Good food sources of selenium include broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, celery, oni
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Members of AIDS Treatment Update s medical advisory panel told us that they had seen few cases of lipodystrophy to date, writes Edward King. Dr Mike Youle of the Royal Free Hospital, for example, has seen only three cases among his 500 patients. Likewise, only a small number of cases have been seen at the Mortimer Mark
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
>>On a protease, no sign of lipodystrophy - Discuss any concerns you have with your doctor. What are the facts? What is their opinion? What can be done to monitor cholesterol, fat and sugar in your blood? - Talk with a dietitian about your diet. - Talk with a physiotherapist about appropriate exercise. >>On a protease,
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Megan Nicholson
[Editor s note: This article was originally published in the HIV Herald, the treatments bulletin of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO). Additional comments from British doctors can be found in the box opposite.] Changes in body fat have emerged as a major side effect of the anti-HIV drugs called
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Edward King
In the USA, many researchers and activists urge people with HIV not only to `hit hard , but also to `hit early . They argue that early treatment maximises the chances of achieving undetectable viral load. Space prevents us from looking at the debate about when to start treatment in this issue. Advocates of `hitting har
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Edward King
In the Merck 035 trial, only 60% of participants taking the triple combination of AZT / 3TC / indinavir had viral load below 50 after one year of treatment.
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Edward King
Another practical problem is that it is unclear how quickly someone can reasonably expect their viral load to fall below 50. Dr Moyle notes that We know that with the standard viral load tests, most people who are going to go below 400 copies/ml will have done so by the time they ve received 16 to 24 weeks of triple th
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Edward King
Several of our respondents expressed concern about the potential danger of using up drugs - especially the protease inhibitors - while striving for an unattainable goal. Dr Ian Williams suggests that for a large group of people, it seems unrealistic to expect that they will be able to drive their viral load below 50 ev
AIDS Treatment Update, Issue 61-62, January-February 1998
Edward King
Over the last twelve months, a growing number of doctors, researchers and treatment activists have endorsed an approach to anti-HIV therapy nick-named `hitting hard . They argue that recent evidence suggests that when someone decides to start treatment, he or she should make every effort to drive viral load to below th
The new edition of NAM s HIV & AIDS Treatments Directory includes full details of 35 clinical trials currently taking place in the UK. The latest studies, now open for recruiting, include the following (codes in brackets indicate participating centres, with contact details in the table below): - A comparison of
NAM s latest booklet answers the questions that people with HIV ask most often about clinical trials. It is meant to help you decide whether or not to take part in a particularstudy, and to help you in discussions with doctors and nurses before and during the trial. For your free copy (for readers in the UK), contact u
Boehringer-Ingelheim, manufacturer of nevirapine, is now investigating whether nevirapine can be taken once a day. Nevirapine levels decline very slowly in the blood, and some doctors in the UK are already prescribing nevirapine for once daily use. A study conducted in Germany found that nevirapine,
Kidney stones, pain on passing urine and flank pain _ all side-effects associated with indinavir _ may be occurring because people are not drinking water at the right time, Dr Duncan Churchill told last month s NAM Information Forum in London. Kidney stones and crystals in the urine are a consequence of very high
Recreational use of Ecstasy and other drugs is the most significant factor associated with non-adherence to protease inhibitor treatment amongst gay men, according to research amongst patients at London s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, writes Keith Alcorn. Missing doses of a protease inhibitor on a regular basis may
A growing body of evidence strongly suggests that a virus called HHV-8 is a key factor in the development of Kaposi s sarcoma (KS). KS lesions are caused by the abnormal over-growth of blood vessels, and can occur on the skin or within the body. In some body tissues, such as the lymph nodes, they can prevent the normal
Protease inhibitors (PIs) are the most powerful anti-HIV drug currently available. Combinations that include two PIs, known as dual PI therapy, may be recomm-ended for people who have used many anti-HIV drugs before or who have very high viral load, to try to provide a stronger antiviral effect. So, if one protease inh
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.