Up to 40% of ART recipients in Africa have died or discontinued treatment within two years
Up to 40% of all patients receiving anti-HIV drugs in sub-Saharan Africa are thought to have either died or discontinued treatment within two years, according to a systematic review of African ART treatment programmes published on October 16th in the journal PLoS Medicine.

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Cluster of 'indolent' KS cases in older, antiretroviral-treated patients in San Francisco
Doctors in San Francisco have reported a cluster of cases of the AIDS-defining cancer Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) in older HIV-positive individuals who are doing well on antiretroviral therapy. The cluster was first reported in a letter in the September 27th edition of the New England Journal of Medicines. Doctors reported seeing nine cases between 2004 and early 2006, but since the publication of this letter, press reports suggest that the number of cases has increased to 15.

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Sudden increases in viral load in first two years of infection could indicate superinfection
A sudden increase in viral load is rarely due to HIV superinfection, researchers from Amsterdam report in study published in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Minor medical conditions, such as upper respiratory tract infections appeared to be the most likely explanation for sudden viral load increases.

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Studies underway to find the best time to start anti-HIV therapy in those taking TB treatment
Uncertainty about the optimum time to initiate antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients with active tuberculosis (TB) could be answered by clinical trials currently recruiting, investigators report in a supplement to the November 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The studies are recruiting patients with different degrees of immune suppression who are ill with tuberculosis in resource-limited countries. However, recruitment to one study has already been terminated due to problems with funding and poor enrolment.

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Uganda : factory to boost ARV rollout
A new Ugandan pharmaceutical factory has begun producing antiretroviral medication drugs locally, something the government says will significantly increase the number of HIV-positive people accessing the life-prolonging drugs across the country and the East African region.

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Kenya : treatment literacy lagging behind ARV rollout
The Kenyan government's free antiretroviral (ARV) programme has reached more than 160,000 people in need of the life-prolonging therapy, but experts say unless this momentum is accompanied by an equally aggressive treatment literacy campaign, widespread drug resistance could result.

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Most patients on incompletely suppressive therapy maintain CD4 counts and stable viral loads
Two-thirds of patients on anti-HIV therapy that failed to reduce their viral loads to undetectable levels (‘incompletely suppressive therapy’ or ISR) maintained or increased their CD4 counts for over two years, a study from the University of Michigan has found. Viral loads remained stable in an even larger proportion – 80% – of patients. The study is published in the October 15th edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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Anti-HIV treatment, weight and low income risk factors for heart disease
People infected with HIV need to be better targeted for heart disease screening and treatment say the authors of one of the largest studies of HIV and cardiac health yet conducted. The study is published in the October 15th edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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Low-tech assays for plasma C-reactive protein useful for predicting HIV-related outcomes in Tanzanian women
High maternal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels can independently predict HIV-related outcomes such as disease progression and maternal and child mortality in a resource-poor setting, according to the findings of a study published in the October 1st issue of the journal AIDS.

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Pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of HIV disease progression in HIV-infected women on ART
Pregnancy was associated with a significantly reduced risk of HIV disease progression in a cohort of HIV-infected American women on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), according to the findings of a study published in the October 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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$100 million grant programme for innovative approaches to health systems strengthening in Africa
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) is to provide $100 million over five to seven years to African-led partnerships working on innovative strategies to overcome barriers to integrated primary healthcare delivery.

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Pain control out of reach for 100 million worldwide
Access to pain control, especially opioid painkillers, remains very difficult in most parts of the world, according to a report issued today by Help the Hospices, despite the fact that an estimated 100 million people could benefit from palliative care.

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High fat diet accelerates progression of HIV-like virus
A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol accelerates disease progression and death in monkeys infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus, say US researchers in the October 15th edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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Contributions by (RED) to the Global Fund reach $45 million
(RED), the initiative launched last year to engage corporate and consumer power in the fight against AIDS in Africa, says that sales of RED-branded products have raised more than $45 million for the Global Fund.

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$42 billion neded to achieve universal access by 2010, says UNAIDS
Up to $42 billion will need to be found by 2010 if universal access to HIV treatment, prevention and care is to be achieved in line with the 2005 commitment by G8 governments, UNAIDS said today.

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PrEP could prevent up to three million HIV infections in ten years in Africa
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – the use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent infection with HIV – could prevent up to three million new HIV infections over ten years in southern Africa if used consistently, according to mathematical modelling published this month in the online journal PLoS One.

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Merck HIV vaccine fails, trials halted
Trials of the most promising HIV vaccine to date have been halted following news that the vaccine did not protect against HIV infection, according to a press release issued on Friday by developer Merck.

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Return of nelfinavir's European license recommended
European drug regulatory authorities have recommended the lifting of the temporary suspension imposed on the license for nelfinavir (Viracept).

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ICAAC: Gains in limb fat and CD4 counts continue three years after switching from d4T to tenofovir
Three years after switching from d4T (stavudine, Zerit) to tenofovir (Viread) in an otherwise stable regimen, participants in the Gilead 903 study have maintained virologic suppression and continue to see increases in CD4 cell counts and limb fat, although the rate of limb fat gain has decreased considerably from the dramatic gains seen at two years. The results were presented as a poster at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, held this week in Chicago.

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ICAAC: Sharp decline in HIV prevalence reported in pregnant women in rural northern Zimbabwe
A dramatic 41% decline in HIV prevalence has been reported in pregnant women in Zimbabwe, according to the latest survey done in this population. The results were reported in a poster presentation at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago this week.

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ICAAC: In NNRTI-based regimens, stepwise discontinuation minimises risk of antiretroviral resistance
Stopping NNRTI treatment seven to ten days before stopping the nucleoside analogue backbone does minimise the risk of developing NNRTI resistance, a Thai study has confirmed.

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ICAAC: Moxifloxacin could cut TB treatment time to four months
Using the antibiotic moxifloxacin instead of ethambutol in TB treatment increases the cure rate and could cut the length of treatment from six to four months, according to studies from Johns Hopkins University Medical School presented today at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago.

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ICAAC: Hardening of the arteries found in one in five patients in Swiss HIV cohort
A cross-sectional study of Swiss patients with HIV has found that one in five had peripheral vascular disease - hardening or narrowing of the arteries in the leg - compared with a prevalence of up to 4% in the general population.

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ICAAC: High mortality rate from symptomatic lactic acidosis in Thailand
Lactic acidosis led to the death of 7% of Thai patients presenting with symptoms of the condition, according to a retrospective study presented this week at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago. Individuals with low body weight were at highest risk of death.

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