Study Finds Viramune Lowers Bad Cholesterol: A study funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. and presented July 20 at the International AIDS Society Conference in Cape Town, South Africa shows that its antiretroviral drug Viramune (nevirapine), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, lowers bad cholesterol in HIV patients. This is important in reducing stress on the cardiovascular system, which is adversely affected by HIV. The study also found that Viramune was more effective than Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) when used in combination with other antiretrovirals. For more information, please see the Connecticut Post.

D.C. Public School System Offers STD Testing To High School Students: A report released today by the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice commended the recent D.C. school board decision to offer tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) to all public high school students this fall. A recent pilot program found that 11 percent of students tested positive for an STD, which increases the likelihood of HIV transmission during sexual contact. AIDS activists see the decision as an effort to arrest the city’s AIDS rate, which is the highest in the nation. For more information, please see the D.C. Appleseed report and the related Washington Post article.

Study Shows VivaGel Protects Against HIV And HSV Infection: A recent clinical study conducted in Melbourne, Australia demonstrated the anti-HIV and anti-HSV (herpes simplex virus) properties of VivaGel, a Starpharma product. VivaGel is a vaginally administered microbicide that blocks sexually transmitted diseases. It is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. The recent study suggests VivaGel retains its activity following vaginal administration and is active longer than expected. For more information, please see the Starpharma press release (pdf).

Study Reveals Isentress Is A More Effective Treatment Than Sustiva In Treatment-Naïve Patients: In a recent study published in The Lancet, the new antiretroviral Isentress (raltegravir) proved to be more effective in first-line therapy and faster in suppressing HIV replication than Sustiva (efavirenz), with fewer side effects. Isentress is an integrase inhibitor manufactured by Merck. For more information, please see the study in The Lancet (abstract) or read the related MedPage Today article.