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HHS Warns Against Three-Month Short-Course Tuberculosis Treatment For People On Antiretroviral Therapy – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has warned that people with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy should not take the new shortened, three-month regimen of weekly isoniazid plus Priftin (rifapentine) for treatment of latent tuberculosis. Priftin may reduce the efficacy of antiretrovirals, so HHS recommends that people on antiretroviral therapy instead receive the traditional nine-month treatment course of daily isoniazid. People with HIV who are at least 12 years old and are not on antiretroviral therapy can choose to take the three-month treatment course, as can certain patients under the age of 12 on a case-by-case basis. However, HHS stated that the shorter regimen should not be used in patients under two years of age. HHS also noted that efficacy of the shorter regimen has not yet been established in people with HIV. For more information, please see the HHS Information Sheet (pdf).

FDA Accepts Gilead’s Application For Approval Of “Quad” Combination Antiretroviral – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted Gilead Science’s application for approval of its investigational “Quad” combination antiretroviral pill. The Quad regimen is a fixed-dose, single tablet consisting of the investigational booster drug cobicistat, the investigational integrase inhibitor elvitegravir, and Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir). Gilead submitted its application to the FDA in October; the FDA has stated that it will make a decision on the drug by August 27, 2012. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.

Gilead Files For Approval Of “Quad” Combination Antiretroviral In Europe – Gilead Sciences has also applied for marketing approval of its investigational “Quad” combination antiretroviral pill from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). If approved, the Quad will be the third all-in-one combination antiretroviral pill approved in Europe; the first two, also marketed by Gilead Sciences, were Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir) and Eviplera (rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir), known as Complera in the U.S. Based on average approval times for the EMA, a decision would be expected mid to late next year. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.

Merck Agrees To Cut Price Of Isentress For ADAPs – U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck has agreed to lower its price for Isentress (raltegravir) for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), which provide free antiretrovirals to low-income people with HIV. The agreement follows pledges by Gilead Sciences and Janssen Therapeutics (a division of Johnson & Johnson) to also reduce the prices they charge ADAPs for their HIV drugs (see related AIDS Beacon news). Due to state budget crises and an increase in the number of people requesting assistance, many states have tightened eligibility requirements or implemented waiting lists for ADAPs. For more information, please see the Merck press release.

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Merck To Collaborate With The Vaccine And Gene Therapy Institute On HIV Latency Research – U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck has entered into a three-year agreement with the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida to collaborate on research into HIV latency. Latent HIV is a dormant form of HIV that is not actively replicating and therefore is not eliminated by antiretroviral drugs. The research is part of an effort toward finding a cure for HIV and will focus on methods to target latent HIV and test latency drug candidates. Many scientists believe HIV could be cured by combining antiretrovirals with drugs to activate and target latent HIV (see related AIDS Beacon news). For more information, please see the press release from the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida.

Secretary Of State Clinton Calls For AIDS-Free Generation – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the world to work toward an AIDS-free generation in a speech at the National Institutes of Health last week. Secretary Clinton advocated the use of antiretroviral drugs in combination with prevention measures such as male circumcision and promotion of condom use to cut the number of HIV infections. Secretary Clinton stated that the U.S. would grant $60 million toward these efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinton also appointed talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as an international envoy for AIDS awareness. For more information, please see the article in the Washington Post.

Magic Johnson Marks 20 Years Of Living With HIV – Last week marked the 20th anniversary of basketball player ‘Magic’ Earvin Johnson’s announcement that he would retire from the Los Angeles Lakers due to HIV infection. At the time, in 1991, people with HIV were not expected to live very long. Last week, Johnson said that if he had known how well he would live with HIV he would not have retired. Since going public with his HIV infection, Johnson has been an active member of the HIV/AIDS community, including starting the Magic Johnson Foundation to help fight HIV and serving as a United Nations Ambassador of Peace. For more information, please see the Associated Press article.

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Interim results from an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial indicate that the hepatitis C drug Victrelis, in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin, resulted in twice as many HIV-positive patients achieving undetectable hepatitis C virus levels than peginterferon and ribavirin alone.

“We are encouraged by these interim results with Victrelis in combination therapy in this difficult-to-treat patient population,” said Dr. Roger Pomerantz, senior vice president of Infectious Diseases at U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck, in a press release.

Based on the results, Dr. Pomerantz said that Merck is planning to initiate a…

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2011 National HIV Prevention Conference Starts August 14 – The 2011 National HIV Prevention Conference will be held this year August 14 to 17 in Atlanta. The theme of the conference is “The Urgency of Now: Reduce incidence. Improve access. Promote equity.” Topics will include HIV prevention efforts, strategies for improving access to health care for people with HIV, and reducing health disparities related to HIV and AIDS. Conference organizers expect around 3,000 people to attend. Interested individuals can follow the conference’s Twitter feed or Facebook page to see the latest news and findings. For more information, please see the 2011 National HIV Prevention Conference website.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation Targets Merck, Johnson & Johnson In Drug Price Campaign – Activists at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a California-based treatment and advocacy group, conducted protests last week against U.S. pharmaceutical companies Merck and Johnson & Johnson over the companies’ HIV drug prices. AHF is pressuring both companies to cut the prices they charge state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, which provide antiretrovirals free to low-income people with HIV. AHF’s protests focused on Isentress (raltegravir), marketed by Merck, and Prezista (darunavir), marketed by Johnson & Johnson. For more information, please see the AHF press releases for the Merck and Johnson & Johnson protests.

Johns Hopkins Recruits Participants For Phase 1/2 Trial To Treat HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders – Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are currently recruiting approximately 60 HIV-positive adults for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. The researchers will test the safety and efficacy of two approved drugs, the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil) and the anti-fungal medication fluconazole (Diflucan), in treating problems related to memory, concentration, thinking, and judgment. The drugs will be tested both separately and in combination. Participants must be 18 to 65 years old and on antiretroviral therapy. The trial is expected to last 24 weeks. For more information, please see the U.S. Clinical Trials Registry.

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EMA Approves Victrelis For Hepatitis C In Europe – The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which provides marketing authorization for drugs for the European Union, announced this week the approval of Victrelis (boceprevir) for the treatment of hepatitis C in people who are previously untreated or who failed treatment in the past. Victrelis, marketed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S.), was approved for use in combination with the current standard hepatitis C treatment, peginterferon alfa (PegIntron or Pegasys) plus ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol). Victrelis received approval in the U.S. in May, along with Incivek (telaprevir), a second new hepatitis C treatment in the same drug class. For more information, please see the Merck press release.

Government Creates New Website To Fight Discrimination Against People With HIV – The Department of Justice has created a new website to help fight discrimination against people with HIV and AIDS, which is illegal under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The website provides information about HIV’s coverage under the ADA and instructions on how to file a complaint, as well as information on past legal settlements against companies found guilty of discrimination. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, education, healthcare, and housing, among others. For more information, please see the Department of Justice’s ADA AIDS website.

New Jersey Will Implement Medical Marijuana Program – New Jersey governor Chris Christie announced yesterday that he will lift the suspension on the state’s plans to dispense medical marijuana. The governor last month delayed implementing the law to request assurance from the federal government that it would not prosecute state officials for dispensing the drug. However, despite not receiving such assurances, Governor Christie said yesterday that the state can move forward with its plans. Governors of several states have reassessed medical marijuana laws in light of recent letters from the U.S. government threatening to prosecute state employees under federal drug laws (see related AIDS Beacon news). Marijuana is not legal under federal laws, although several states have legalized it for medicinal use. For more information, please see the article in Bloomberg.

Armenia Lifts HIV Travel Ban – Armenia last week became the latest country to lift its ban restricting people with HIV from entering the country. Namibia, China, South Korea, and the U.S. have all lifted travel bans since 2010, although restrictions remain in 48 countries, territories, or areas worldwide. The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) praised the move, stating that travel bans are discriminatory and have no health or economic justifications. For more information, please see the UNAIDS press release.