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Preliminary results from a small 48 week clinical trial indicate that previously untreated HIV-positive adults taking Kaletra plus Selzentry have better immune recovery and faster virologic response compared to participants taking the more standard regimen of Kaletra plus Truvada.

Based on their results, the researchers recommended further research into treatment regimens that do not contain nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) – such as Truvada – which currently form the backbone of antiretroviral therapy. They also noted that longer trials with more participants would be needed to confirm the long-term safety…

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Results from two new studies indicate that Kaletra plus Isentress may be as safe and effective as standard treatment regimens for people with HIV. One study was conducted in treatment-experienced patients and the other in people who had not previously taken antiretrovirals.

The results were presented this week at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention (IAS 2011).

Standard antiretroviral therapy includes two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) plus at least one additional antiretroviral from a different class.  However, some people are unable to tolerate…

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Results of a recent review indicate that people with HIV are at an increased risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes, particularly if they are on antiretroviral therapy. The authors also found that more research is needed on the most effective way to treat diabetes in HIV-positive patients.

Based on their results, the review authors recommended that people with HIV receive routine screening for diabetes before starting antiretroviral therapy, three to six months after starting therapy, and once a year thereafter.

Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar…

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Results from a recent small study indicate that certain nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, particularly zidovudine, stavudine, didanosine, and zalcitabine, may cause irreversible premature aging in people with HIV. Signs of premature aging were found even in people who were no longer taking the NRTIs.

“What is surprising…is that patients who came off the medication many years ago may still be vulnerable to these changes,” said Professor Patrick Chinnery, lead author of the study, in a press release.

The aging appears to be caused by damage to cells’ energy production units,…

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Licenses Prospective Anti-HIV Drug Festinavir – Bristol-Myers Squibb announced today that it has licensed the prospective new anti-HIV drug festinavir from Oncolys BioPharma, a small Japanese pharmaceutical company. Festinavir is a once-daily nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. Results from Phase 1 trials indicate the drug may have fewer side effects than currently approved NRTIs. The agreement gives Bristol-Myers Squibb international rights to manufacture, develop, and sell the drug. For more information, please see the Bristol-Myers Squibb press release.

German Doctors Report Man Cured Of HIV With Unusual Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatment – Researchers in Germany announced last week that the man known as “the Berlin patient,” an HIV-positive man who received an unusual bone marrow stem cell transplant to simultaneously treat his leukemia and cure his HIV, remains free of HIV three years after the transplant. The treatment was unusual because doctors were able to find a stem cell donor who also had a rare mutation that confers immunity to HIV. The results were first reported in 2008, but there was concern that his HIV might reappear eventually. The report last week indicates that after three years there is still no sign of HIV infection. Other researchers and doctors have warned that the treatment was risky and not suitable for general use; however, it does indicate that gene therapy, an experimental form of treatment that allows researchers to add or remove genes, may offer a way of curing HIV. For more information, please see the Associated Press article. For a “Frequently Asked Questions” page about the German patient’s HIV cure and its implications for people with HIV, please see the WebMD website.

Clinical Trial On Higher Flu Vaccine Dose Is Currently Recruiting Participants – A clinical trial that will test a higher dose of the flu vaccine in people with HIV is currently recruiting participants in Philadelphia. The trial aims to determine if the Fluzone High Dose vaccine will elicit a better immune system response and therefore better protection against the influenza virus in people with HIV. Fluzone High Dose is a new flu vaccine made by Sanofi-Aventis that is designed for people ages 65 and older, who naturally have weaker immune systems. Eligible trial participants must be 18 years or older and either on a stable antiretroviral regimen or not taking antiretrovirals with no plan to begin treatment within 30 days of starting the trial. For more information, please see the United States Clinical Trials Registry. For more information on Fluzone High Dose, please see the Centers for Disease Control website.