HIV/AIDS

Study results show that patients treated with Stribild had significantly reduced viral load and increased CD4 counts after 96 weeks, with fewer patients discontinuing treatment due to side effects.

Implementation of computerized customized order entry sets in a large urban hospital reduced HIV medication error rates by more than 35%.

Study finds men with HIV and chronic HCV infection are more likely to receive treatment than women. The same study also indicates Caucasians with HIV and HCV co-infection are more likely to receive treatment than their African-American counterparts.

Study finds there are often long delays between diagnosis and referral for treatment by a specialist for patients with hepatitis C, and also long delays from the time of referral to initiation of treatment.

Alcohol use with maraviroc administration increases blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) by 12 percent, but a lower BAC was found in patients taking ritonavir and efavirenz.

Recently released testing guidelines and expanded access to insurance coverage under the ACA may improve awareness and treatment among HIV-positive, economically underserved, and minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by viral hepatitis infection.

Study results presented at the 2013 United States Conference on AIDS show that both combo drugs have a similar efficacy profile in ART-naïve patients, but patients treated with Complera reported fewer and less severe side effects.

Researchers found that overall cognitive performance was below average in a sample of patients with HIV who were referred for neurocognitive evaluation. Especially affected were areas involving memory, which can have a negative effect on treatment adherence.

Increased spending for treatment of HIV patients does not necessarily lead to a more positive clinical outcome, according to a new study presented at the 2013 United States Conference on AIDS.

New research findings underscore the need for improved medical and psychiatric care coordination for HIV patients.

By providing HIV testing, counseling, screening for other STDs, transportation assistance, and other services, these programs were able to successfully identify new cases of HIV in high-risk groups and provide them with follow-up care.

In addition to recommending antiretroviral therapy for all HIV-infected individuals to reduce the risk of disease progression, the revised document also offers guidance on initial treatment regimens, early HIV infection, drug-resistance testing, and more.

Study shows patients who switched from treatment with a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor maintained virologic suppression, experienced improved lipid profiles, and suffered fewer side effects.

New insurance protections, changes in how AIDS Drug Assistance Program benefits are counted, Medicaid expansion, and other provisions in the law will mean better care for many patients.

A recent study found each missed physician visit increases an HIV patient's risk of death by 12 percent.

When alcohol consumption is a concern, it's better to prescribe antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients than to withhold it, according to a group of researchers at University Hospital of Berne in Switzerland.

Reviews of crofelemer showed the drug's clinical utility in diarrhea associated with HIV, but clinical trials comparing it to other antidiarrheals are still needed.

Scaling up preventative isoniazid therapy can curb tuberculosis development and related death in patients infected with HIV, according to research published online Aug. 16 in Lancet Infectious Diseases.

News and updates about USCA 2013.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new tablet to treat a broad population of HIV-infected adults and children in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) agents.

Unique interactive resource from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University offers visual depiction of HIV prevalence data.

Following previous research that detected a greater risk of major depressive disorder development in HIV-infected patients, a new study examined the psychiatric condition's effect on adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

It may be possible to "reverse engineer" molecules that activate precursors of effective, neutralizing antibodies against the HIV virus.

As part of ongoing efforts to support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the new initiative will direct Federal agencies to align and coordinate their efforts to maximize outcomes along the HIV care continuum.

Researchers discussed new HIV vaccine developments in protecting antibodies capable of neutralizing many different strains of the virus and reviewed the comorbidity of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Two male patients with prolonged HIV infection who received hematopoietic stem cell transplants still remain virus-free several consecutive weeks after their antiretroviral treatments were discontinued this spring.

Panel discussion of study results presented at IAS 2013 focusing on strategies for using antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with HIV who are ART-naïve or who have failed previous therapies.

As pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains at the forefront of HIV prevention research, clinical trial investigators provided an update on recent oral and topical PrEP efficacy studies at the second plenary session of the 7th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2013), held June 30 to July 3 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Consolidated guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend starting treatment when a patient's CD4 count falls below 500, and also recommend a new first-line ART regimen.

Results of a pair of phase 3 placebo-controlled clinical studies conducted by a worldwide team of researchers have deemed Merck's Isentress (raltegravir) antiretroviral treatment safe, tolerable, and effective in multidrug-resistant HIV patients who are naïve to integrase inhibitors.