The injectable long-acting antibody against HIV ibalizumab has shown promise in a trial of people with multidrug-resistant virus.
(Poz.com) - Researchers presented preliminary findings from the 24-week, single-arm Phase III TMB-301 study of ibalizumab at the IDWeek 2016 conference in New Orleans. The study has enrolled 40 people living with multidrug-resistant HIV. During a seven-day control period, investigators monitored the participants, who were either taking their failing HIV regimen or no treatment for the virus. After that, all participants received 2,000 milligrams of intravenous ibalizumab, followed by biweekly injections of 800 mg of the antibody through 24 weeks of the study. Two weeks into this period they were put on optimized background regimens of daily ARVs. READ FULL STORY
Can Offering Free Water at Bars Prevent HIV? - A new study from University of California San Francisco and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation found that when men are offered free self-service water at gay bars they aren't as drunk when they leave. Researchers believe that could have a positive impact on HIV rates in the city — because sober people make better choices about sexual health. READ FULL STORY
"Doing It" is a new HIV testing and prevention campaign designed to motivate all adults to get tested for HIV and know their status.
New Study Shows PrEP is as Safe as Aspirin - (Poz.com) Ever since Truvada was approved for use as PrEP in 2012, detractors of the HIV prevention pill have strongly cautioned against the drug because of the alleged side-effects associated with its use. Although the more sensational claims of drug resistance and rampant kidney failure have largely been dispelled, discussions about PrEP still receive static when the safety of PrEP use is discussed. READ FULL STORY
New study finds whether HIV-infected people on antiretroviral treatment transmit virus to their partner
A new study has found that neither gay men nor heterosexual people with HIV transmit the virus to their partner, provided they are on suppressive antiretroviral treatment. This is the world's largest study of people with HIV who have had condomless sex with their HIV negative partners. READ FULL STORY
CDC’s STI Testing Guidelines For People on PrEP Are Too Lax - (poz.com) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing guidelines for people on Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may lead health care providers to miss a significant proportion of asymptomatic STIs. READ FULL STORY.
Clinical Trial To Cure HIV With Umbilical Cord Blood
(indiatoday.intoday.in) World's first clinical trial to cure five HIV patients within three years is set to start in Spain. The trial will use transplants of blood from umbilical cords. Till now, only one person has been completely cured of HIV and is known as the "Berlin patient". He was diagnosed with both HIV and leukemia, and needed to be treated for cancer. The doctors used a bone-marrow of a donor who had a certain cellular mutation which resisted HIV. After the transplant, the HIV levels decreased and he is now cancer-free with only traces of virus found. READ FULL STORY.
Benefits & Pitfalls to HIV Home Testing -
(Betablog.org) Health providers agree that HIV home tests are an important tool that can help curb the spread of HIV, but raise concerns about their use in some settings.
Former Child Star Danny Pintauro Reveals He Is HIV-Positive - (EW.com) During an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah: Where Are They Now, former Who’s the Boss? child star Danny Pintauro revealed that he’s been HIV-positive for the last 12 years. READ FULL STORY.
Phase III Trials Begin For
(HIVequal.org) In an exclusive interview with HIV Equal, the CEO of CytoDyn Inc. said phase III clinical trials have begun in New Orleans for its PRO 140 injectable antibody to fight HIV. READ MORE.
Second case of HIV infection on PrEP - (Betablog.org)
The man on PrEP acquired a multi-drug resistant form of HIV, with high-level resistance to lamivudine, abacavir, didanosine, emtricitabine, tenofovir, efavirenz, nevirapine, and rilpivirine. Because the type of HIV he was exposed to was resistant to the drugs in Truvada PrEP (tenofovir and emtricitabine), PrEP was not able to prevent HIV infection. READ FULL STORY
Can Two-Drug Treatment Regimen Keep HIV Under Control? -
(Betablog.org)
An antiretroviral regimen consisting of just two drugs—dolutegravir and lamivudine—led to sustained viral suppression for most people starting HIV treatment for the first time, according to findings from a small study presented in a late-breaker session at the recent 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016) in Durban, South Africa. Two-drug regimens would potentially be easier to take and less expensive compared to the standard three-drug HIV treatment regimens. READ FULL STORY
FDA OKs Descovy, Latest Combo HIV Pill - (abc news) The FDA approved Descovy, a combination HIV drug for treating patients aged 12 and older with the HIV-1 subtype. Gilead says Descovy is as effective as its blockbuster Viread at a much-lower dose. It hasn't disclosed the price. READ FULL STORY
PrEP User Contracts Drug-Resistant HIV - (poz.com) Researchers have for the first time documented a case of an individual contracting HIV, a multi-drug resistant strain, while apparently adhering well to the daily regimen of Truvada (PrEP). While this case is concerning, experts in the PrEP field believe that such failures of PrEP will likely remain rare. READ FULL STORY.
Monthly Shots as Good as Daily HIV Meds - (hivplusmag.com) Injecting HIV drugs every month or two is as effective in suppressing the virus as taking daily medications, according to an eight-month clinical trial conducted by ViiV Healthcare and Janssen Sciences Ireland. It could also improve adherence rates by reducing the potential of skipped doses. READ FULL STORY.
Atripla No Longer Recommended as First-Line HIV Therapy - (betablog.org) Department of Health and Human Services made some key changes to recommended first-line HIV treatment recommendations. READ FULL STORY.
Six Must-Ask Questions When Starting a New HIV Medication - (betablog.org) There were 37 different antiretrovirals approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. There’s no “one size fits all” drug out there. READ FULL STORY.
On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on what would later be understood as the first documented cases of AIDS. The past 35 years tell a story that bends from uncertainty, fear, and loss toward resilience, innovation, and hope.
We've learned that stigma and silence don't just fuel ignorance, they foster transmission and give life to a plague. We've seen that testing, treatment, education, and acceptance can not only save and extend lives, but fight the discrimination that halted progress for too long. And we've reaffirmed that most American of ideas - that ordinary citizens can speak out, band ourselves together like a breathtaking quilt, and change the course of our communities and our nation for the better. READ FULL STORY
Switching from Atripla to Generic Treatments Saves Lots of Money
Switching from branded Atripla to regimens that include at least one generic drug treatment is a big cost saver without compromising efficacy, according to research. READ FULL STORY
Long-Acting Antibody Successfully Combats Drug-Resistant HIV - (Poz.com) The injectable long-acting antibody against HIV ibalizumab has shown promise in a trial of people with multidrug-resistant virus. Researchers presented preliminary findings from the 24-week, single-arm Phase III TMB-301 study of ibalizumab at the IDWeek 2016 conference in New Orleans.
How well do condoms protect gay men from HIV? - (Betablog.org)
With all the news and research related to PrEP these days, it’s almost easy for gay men to forget about condoms for HIV prevention. I’m here to offer a gentle reminder: Let’s not throw condoms out with the bath water! They still have a role to play in protecting the sexual health of gay men—since they can protect against STIs in addition to HIV. READ FULL STORY
Gay men are to be offered the HPV vaccine in a pilot scheme. - (gaystarnews.com)
The jab protects against human papillomavirus, which increases the risk of oral, anal and penile cancers. It will be given to 40,000 gay men in a pilot scheme. Since 2008, it has been offered to schoolgirls to protect them from cervical cancer. However, health advocates say that gay men are not being protected. READ FULL STORY
Before You Freak Out About the PrEP Failure - (Mic.com)
The most well-known studies on PrEP showed that people who took the pill at least four times a week did not contract HIV. The wild card in this case is the drug-resistant strain of HIV which, according to Dr. Bob Grant, a lead PrEP researcher, describes less than 1% of HIV strains. READ FULL STORY
Odefsey: New HIV Combination Pill is More Gentle on Bones, Kidneys - FDA approves new once-daily drug treatment of HIV. New drug delivers high antiviral efficacy at a much lower dose. The lower dose can be used to treat HIV means that it has a better safety profile—and is easier on the kidneys and bones. READ FULL STORY.
Subdermal PrEP Implant
Studies Continue - (hivandhepatitis.com) Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has shown promise as an alternative to daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in an animal study. READ FULL STORY.