NAPWA

Dr Mark Bloch from Holdsworth House in Sydney presented the 48-week results of the combined ECHO and THRIVE studies which determined that the new NNRTI rilpivirine (RPV) is as effective as efavirenz (EFV) for first-line treatment.

Everyone in the studies received a nucleoside backbone to their treatment – in ECHO it was Truvada, in THRIVE it was tenfovir/3TC or abacavir/3TC. read more »

Neuropsychiatric side effects are a common problem for people on efavirenz (EFV), but a study reported last year reveals just how common they are, and how long they last.

The SENSE trial was designed to evaluate whether 12 weeks of treatment with once-daily etravirine (ETR) plus 2NRTIs would lead to fewer neuropsychiatric adverse events than treatment with efavirenz plus 2NRTIs. read more »

The 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention was held in Rome last week from 17-20 July. This meeting is held every two years and alternates with the much larger World AIDS Conferences also organised by the International AIDS Society (IAS). read more »

A Canadian study has associated abacavir, efavirenz, lopinavir and ritonavir with an increased risk of heart attackA life-threatening emergency in which the blood supply to the heart is suddenly cut off, causing the heart muscle (myocardium) to die from lack of oxygen.. The research also showed that patients with HIV had twice the risk of heart attack compared to matched HIV
negative controls. read more »

ViiV Healthcare has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDAThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness(Of a drug or treatment). The maximum ability of a drug or treatment to produce a result regardless of dosage. A drug passes efficacy trials if it is effective at the dose tested and against the illness for which it is prescribed. In the standard procedure, Phase II clinical trials gauge efficacy, and Phase III trials confirm it. of all drugs, biologics, vaccines, and medical devices, including those used in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV infection, AIDS, and AIDS-related opportunistic infections. The FDA also works with the blood banking industry to safeguard the nation's blood supply. The Australian equivalent is the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA[Therapeutic Goods Administration] The federal government body that approves drugs and treatments before they can be prescribed.).) has placed a hold on the development of their new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), GSK-761. read more »

People with HIV who have an undetectable viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma. can safely switch to nevirapine (Viramune) at any CD4 cell count, the European Medicines Agency has concluded. read more »

Adrian Ogier gives a round up of treatments news from the Vienna Conference. read more »

People who experience ongoing central nervous system (CNS) side effects from the treatment efavirenz will be pleased to know that they may soon be able to take a lower dose of the drug. read more »

Efavirenz is currently one of the preferred options for people starting treatment. Used in combination with other antiretroviralsA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV., it is a highly efficient therapy, however, it is also common for people to experience ‘trippy’ side effects on the drug, particularly within the first few weeks. read more »

A roundup of HIV treatments developments from the IAS Conference in Cape Town. read more »