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Results from a recent Japanese study indicate that a Viread-based antiretroviral therapy regimen causes greater loss of kidney function than a Ziagen-containing therapy, particularly in people with HIV who weigh less than about 130 pounds.

Based on the results, the study authors recommended that people with HIV who are taking Viread, Truvada, or Atripla (which both contain Viread) and have a low body weight be monitored for loss of kidney function at least twice per year, particularly during their first year of treatment.

The researchers also noted that further research…

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FDA Concludes Ziagen Does Not Increase Risk Of Heart Attack – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week its conclusion that Ziagen (abacavir) does not increase the risk of heart attack in people with HIV. Ziagen is also an ingredient in Trizivir (zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir) and Epzicom (abacavir/lamivudine). The announcement came after an FDA safety review of 26 clinical trials found, contrary to some previous reports, that Ziagen was not associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Based on its findings, the FDA recommended that patients continue to take Ziagen as prescribed and report any side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch program. For more information, please see the FDA website.

GlaxoSmithKline Sues Abbott Laboratories Over Price Of Norvir – Arguments began last week in a lawsuit between pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Abbott Laboratories over the price of Abbott’s HIV drug Norvir (ritonavir). Norvir is often prescribed in combination with protease inhibitors to increase the effectiveness of a protease inhibitor-based antiretroviral regimen. GSK claims that Abbott’s 2003 price increase for Norvir, from $1.71 to $8.57 per 100 mg tablet, prevented GSK and other protease inhibitor manufacturers from competing effectively with Abbott’s protease inhibitor Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), which already includes Norvir. Abbott argues that the price increase was reasonable and that Kaletra makes up less of the protease inhibitor market today than it did in 2003. GSK, Rite Aid, and other drug retailers and distributors are seeking damages of up to $4.5 billion. A decision on the case is expected within a few weeks. For more information, please see the Bloomberg news article.

National Women And Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Thursday, March 10 will mark the annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Coordinated by the Office on Women’s Health, the day is meant to encourage nationwide discussion about HIV and AIDS among women and girls, including educating women and girls about prevention, testing, and how to live a healthy life after becoming infected with HIV. For more information or to find local events, please see the National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day website.

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Although the cause of increased heart problems in people with HIV remains unclear, both antiretroviral drugs and the virus itself appear to play an important role.

These are the conclusions of a presentation by Dr. Georg Behrens on heart disease in people with HIV, which was included in a session on side effects of antiretroviral therapy at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Behrens, an assistant professor at Hanover Medical School in Germany who studies the metabolic side effects of HIV therapy, began his talk by noting…

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Researchers presented several studies at the International AIDS Conference that examined the role of antiretroviral drugs in the development of heart problems in people with HIV. Results from two large studies indicated that other factors play a larger role in determining heart attack risk than taking antiretroviral medications.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Some studies have estimated that heart disease causes as many as a fifth of all deaths in people with HIV.

Some previous studies have…