Rx+Research

Nonnucleoside analog Viramune is as effective in lowering blood-based viral loads as the protease inhibitor Reyataz while being less likely to boost triglyceride levels, according to a comparison of the two presented at the 2009 International AIDS Society Conference. --------------------- Treatment-naive HIVers with high baseline viral loads respond equally well to initial regimens with Ziagen or Viread as the backbone medication in triple-drug therapy, according to a report in the September 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. --------------------- A comparison of nonnuke Sustiva and integrase inhibitor Isentress, reported in the August 3 online edition of The Lancet, has shown the two drugs are similarly effective for treatment-naive HIVers. After 48 weeks of treatment, 86.1% of people taking Isentress reduced blood-based viral loads to undetectable levels, compared to 81.9% of those taking Sustiva. --------------------- HIVers coinfected with hepatitis B experience have about half as many serious instances of flare-ups of liver inflammation and spikes in the liver enzyme ALT, which indicate liver damage, when taking anti-HIV therapy that includes the drug Epivir, according to a South African study presented at IAS 2009. --------------------- A genetic test called HIV V3 Genotyping and Trofile is as effective at identifying HIVers who will respond well to Selzentry as the slower and more expensive Geno2pheno assays, according to research presented at IAS 2009. The test identifies whether one carries virus that invades CD4 cells through the CCR5 cellular portals, which Selzentry blocks. --------------------- While HIVers with confirmed CCR5-tropic HIV infections achieve similar reductions in HIV viral levels on regimens containing either Selzentry or Sustiva after 96 weeks of treatment, they post about a 25% higher increase in CD4 cells with Selzentry, according to a study of more than 700 HIVers presented at IAS 2009. --------------------- A once-daily, 800-milligram dosage of Kaletra is just as effective at lowering blood-based viral levels in treatment-experienced HIVers as twice-daily, 400-milligram dosing, researchers reported at IAS 2009. Reducing pill burden also improved medication adherence, according to the study. --------------------- HIVers with a stable suppressed viral load may be safely switched to a monotherapy regimen consisting of only boosted Prezista, two studies presented at IAS 2009 have found. Monotherapy was as effective in suppressing blood-based viral levels while offering reduced drug-related side effects, lower chances of developing drug resistance, and significantly lower costs. --------------------- Schering-Plough has announced that it is expanding its Phase II clinical trial of the CCR5 inhibitor Vicriviroc among treatment-naive HIVers at its research sites in North America, Central America, Europe, and South Africa. The medication also is being studied in two Phase III trials of treatment-experienced HIVers. --------------------- Shionogi and GlaxoSmithKline presented Phase II clinical trial data of experimental once-daily integrase inhibitor S/GSK1349572 at IAS 2009, showing the drug reduced HIV viral loads to undetectable levels in 70% of study subjects who took the medication for only 10 days. The data also showed low adverse reactions to the medication and no indication of drug resistance. --------------------- Tobira Therapeutics presented data from two Phase I trials of experimental CCR5 inhibitor TAK-652 at IAS 2009, showing the drug is both safe and well tolerated and has a sufficient half-life to support once-daily dosing.