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 »

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

Follow-up results from a Phase IIA smaller clinical trialA clinical trial is a research study to answer specific questions about vaccines or new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people. Trials are in four phases: Phase I tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase II expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase III expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IV takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. designed to establish whether a drug is effective. Phase II studies are conducted to evaluate the 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 the drug for a particular indication or indications in patients with the disease or condition under study and to determine the common short-term side effects and risks. If there is evidence that the drug is effective, a Phase IIIA large clinical trial designed to establish whether a drug is effective and safe enough for widespread use. Phase III studies include expanded controlled and uncontrolled trials after preliminary evidence suggesting effectiveness of the drug has been obtained, and are intended to gather additional information to evaluate the overall benefit-risk relationship of the drug and provide and adequate basis for physician labeling. study is undertaken, with a larger number of participaants, to confirm this. study of rilpivirine (TMC-278), Tibotec’s experimental(Of a drug) Not licensed for use in humans, or as a treatment for a particular condition. Experimental drugs are studied in clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. trials to determine their safety and efficacy, and are sometimes made available via Special Access Schemes prior to their approval. next generation NNRTI, indicate that when combined with Truvada or Combivir, rilpivirine has comparable results to the leading NNRTI, efavirenz. read more »

The International AIDS Conference heard promising reports about the newer HIV treatments designed to help treat people with advanced and drug-resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. HIV, all of which are now available in Australia. read more »

John Daye, NAPWA's Health, Treatments & Research Portfolio Co-Convenor reports from the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) held in Boston, USA from 3-6 February 2008 read more »

A major scientific conference on HIV has wound up with promising news on treatments which could signal a significant improvement in HIV treatment for the first time in some years. read more »

The annual Retrovirus Conference is a key event on the HIV scientific calendar, and regularly highlights the most exciting ‘bleeding edge’ developments from the world of HIV science. read more »