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People With HIV Are At Increased Risk Of Six Cancers – Results from a recent study indicate that people with HIV are at an increased risk of developing Kaposi’s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, melanoma, anal cancer, and liver cancer compared to people without HIV. The researchers also found lung and oral cancers more frequently in people with HIV, but attributed this to lifestyle factors such as higher smoking rates. There was no increased risk of colorectal cancer and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Results also showed that lower CD4 (white blood cell) counts were associated with an increased cancer risk. Higher viral load (amount of HIV in the blood) was only linked with a higher risk of Kaposi’s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. For more information, please see the press release from Kaiser Permanente or the study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (abstract).

Gilead Receives Approval For Eviplera In Europe – The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved Gilead Sciences’ new once-daily combination antiretroviral pill Eviplera (rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir) for the treatment of HIV in previously untreated adults with viral loads (amount of HIV in the blood) of 100,000 copies per milliliter or less. The approval means that Eviplera can be marketed in all 27 countries in the European Union. Eviplera, known as Complera in the U.S., was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.

AIDS Deaths Continue To Drop Worldwide – An annual report from the United Nations shows that the number of deaths worldwide due to AIDS has continued to drop for the third year in a row. The number of new HIV infections also fell 21 percent in 2010 compared to 1997; 70 percent of new infections were in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the number of people on antiretrovirals increased 20 percent in 2010 in sub-Saharan Africa, bringing the total to 50 percent of clinically eligible people with HIV in low- and middle-income countries. The report also notes that due to longer lifespans and greater survival rates, the number of people living with HIV now stands at an estimated 34 million, the highest ever. For more information, please see the United Nations report (pdf) or the article in the Washington Post.

Study Finds Viread Vaginal Gel Is Safe But Ineffective For HIV Prevention – Results from the Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) study indicate that a vaginal gel containing 1 percent Viread (tenofovir) is safe but ineffective at preventing HIV infection in women. Based on the results, the National Institutes of Health, which is funding the study, has decided to drop the vaginal gel from the study. The trial, whose purpose is to provide women with methods to prevent HIV infection, will continue to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) pills instead. The VOICE study was first modified in September after results showed that a Viread pill was also ineffective (see related AIDS Beacon news). For more information, please see the National Institutes of Health press release.

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Congresswoman Lee Introduces Bill To Repeal Certain HIV Criminalization Laws – Representative Barbara Lee from California has introduced legislation that requires state officials nationwide to reevaluate HIV criminalization laws. The proposed legislation also offers incentives for states to repeal or modify laws that criminalize behavior by people with HIV that is legal for HIV-negative individuals or that has been shown scientifically to convey no measurable risk of HIV transmission. Representatives Hansen Clark and John Conyers from Michigan are co-sponsors of the bill. For more information, please see Rep. Lee’s press release or the article in the Michigan Messenger.

Large HIV Prevention Trial For Women Modified Due To Viread Inefficacy – A large trial that is testing the efficacy of Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) pills, Viread (tenofovir) pills, and a Truvada vaginal gel in preventing HIV transmission to women has been modified because of interim results showing that Viread pills are ineffective. Based on the results, women in the Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) study who were taking Viread will stop taking the drug and will no longer be included in the study. Women taking Truvada pills or the Truvada vaginal gel will continue as planned. For more information, please see the National Institutes of Health press release or the article on the Science Magazine website.

Phase 1 Clinical Trial Shows New HIV Vaccine May Be Highly Effective – Results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of a new preventative HIV vaccine in Spain show that 90 percent of healthy HIV-negative adults who received the vaccine showed an immune response; 85 percent still had an immune response one year after vaccination. This is a much higher percentage than researchers have observed in previous vaccine clinical trials. However, the scientists still have to show that the vaccine actually reduces the risk of contracting HIV. The researchers also plan to test the vaccine as a therapeutic vaccine in people who already have HIV to see if it reduces the severity of infection. For more information, please see the press release from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas or the articles on the ABC news and Fox news websites.

Clinical Trial To Test Victrelis In People With HIV And Hepatitis C Is Currently Recruiting Participants – A Phase 4 clinical trial that will test the efficacy of Victrelis (boceprevir) in HIV-positive adults with hepatitis C virus compared to HIV-negative adults with hepatitis C is currently recruiting participants. Study participants will receive Victrelis in combination with peginterferon-2b (PegIntron) and ribavirin (Rebetol). Eligible participants must not have taken the antiretrovirals Ziagen (abacavir), zidovudine (Retrovir), didanosine (Videx), stavudine (Zerit), Sustiva (efavirenz), or Intelence (etravirine) within the past six months. Additional medication and health restrictions also apply. For more information, please see the U.S. Clinical Trials Registry.

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FDA Grants Fast-Track Status For Anti-HIV Gel – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast-track status for an anti-HIV gel that is designed to protect women from contracting HIV during sexual intercourse. The gel is currently under development by the U.S.-based non-profit CONRAD and contains 1 percent Viread (tenofovir), which is made by Gilead Sciences. Fast track status means that the FDA will accept clinical trial data about the gel’s efficacy and safety on a rolling basis; usually drug developers must collect all the data before submitting it for review. Allowing submission on a rolling basis speeds up the approval process so that a drug is available to the public sooner. Results from a South African clinical trial showed that the preventative gel reduced HIV infections in women by 39 percent over a 2.5 year period. In women who used the gel more than 80 percent of the time, infections were reduced by 54 percent. For more information, please see the CONRAD press release (doc) or the Reuters website.

Study Finds That HIV-Related Health Care Costs An Average Of $20,000 Per Person Annually – Average HIV-related health care costs in the U.S. amounted to nearly $20,000 per HIV-positive person in 2006, according to results from a recent study. Researchers reviewed data from sites across the U.S. that provided HIV care to approximately 14,700 patients. The data was organized according to CD4 (white blood cell) count. Expenses were highest for those who had CD4 counts less than 50 cells per microliter of blood ($40,678 on average) and lowest for those with CD4 counts greater than 500 cells per microliter of blood ($16,614 on average). Most of this money was spent on medications, except for people with low CD4 counts (50 cells per microliter or less) who had larger hospitalization expenses. The researchers concluded that HIV-related health care costs, compared to a decade ago, are still expensive and that costs may increase in the future with improvements in HIV survival rates. For more information, please see the study in AIDS (abstract).

AIDSinfo Provides Live Help Search Services On Its Website – AIDSinfo, a website that helps people search for HIV/AIDS-related clinical trials and provides information on HIV-related research and treatment guidelines, has announced that it will now include a Live Help chat service online. While searching for clinical trials on the website, users will be prompted with a pop-up invitation to chat with an AIDSinfo information specialist who will help them in their search. The Live Help service is available Monday to Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. EST, or by phone at 1-800-HIV-0440 from noon to 5 p.m. EST. For more information, please see the AIDSinfo website.

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A recently released report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) provides information about 97 new drugs and vaccines that are currently in the process of being tested for use towards the prevention or cure of HIV and AIDS.

These 97 medications include 23 vaccines and 54 antiviral drugs, all of which are currently in clinical trials or waiting for FDA approval.

“We are greatly encouraged by these critically important medicines and vaccines in development to treat and prevent HIV infection,” said Billy Tauzin, President and CEO of…