Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections).
AIDS patients with serious complications benefit from early retroviral use, Stanford study shows – HIV-positive patients who don’t seek medical attention until they have a serious AIDS-related condition can reduce their risk of death or other complications by half if they get antiretroviral treatment early on, according to a new multicenter trial led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Study demonstrates modest reduction in HIV disease progression, leads to new insights about HIV transmission. – A recently completed international multi-center clinical trial has found that acyclovir, a drug widely used as a safe and effective treatment to suppress herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), which is the most common cause of genital herpes, does not reduce the risk of HIV transmission when taken by people infected with both HIV and HSV-2.
HIV positive and HIV negative patients have similar survival rates following liver transplant. – HIV positive and HIV negative patients have comparable survival rates following liver transplant, according to new research presented today at EASL 2009, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Copenhagen, Denmark.
GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer announce innovative agreement to create a new world-leading, specialist HIV company – GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) and Pfizer Inc (PFE) announced they have entered into an agreement to create a new world-leading HIV company focused solely on research, development and commercialisation of HIV medicines.
A new North American study shows that starting antiretroviral treatment earlier could reduce the risk of death by up to 94 percent – Begin treatment as early as possible: this general common sense rule seems to apply to most diseases except HIV-AIDS, which is only treated once a certain number of immune cells called “CD4+” cells have disappeared.
Circumcision in heterosexual men significantly reduces their risk of acquiring HIV by 54% over a two year period, compared with uncircumcised men. – Three recent African trials support male circumcision for reducing the risk of contracting HIV in heterosexual men.
Nadja Benaissa, a German pop star singer has been arrested for allegedly infecting people with HIV. – Nadja Benaissa – a German pop star singer – was held in Frankfurt because of the suspicion that she had unprotected sexual intercourse with three people in the years 2004 and 2006 without telling them beforehand that she is HIV positive.
Strides Arcolab receives NDA approval from USFDA for Lamivudine and Stavudine under PEPFAR scheme. – Strides Arcolab Limited (Strides) announced that it has received tentative approval from the United States ? Food and Drug Administration for one new drug application (NDA) for fixed dose combination of Lamivudine and Stavudine Tablets 150 mg / 30 mg under the expedited review provisions of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Stanford study first ever to show US AIDS Relief program PEPFAR saved a million lives. PEPFAR is changing the course of the AIDS epidemic. – PEPFAR, which the Bush administration initially established as a five-year, $15 billion plan, has kept people alive by effectively providing funds for AIDS treatment and care, according to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Study details strategy for boosting ranks of black HIV/AIDS researchers in USA. – About 500,000 African Americans are now living with HIV/AIDS. Yet there are very few African American HIV/AIDS researchers, due to historical, social and other factors that prevent them from training in the biomedical, behavioral and social aspects of HIV/AIDS research.
Increased schooling across sub-Saharan Africa lowering new HIV infections among younger adults. – Increased schooling across sub-Saharan Africa may be lowering new HIV infections among younger adults, according to sociologists, suggesting a shift in a decades-long trend where formal education is considered an AIDS risk factor.
Einstein researcher will help lead South African Research Institute for tuberculosis and HIV – A groundbreaking partnership between the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa will establish an international research center focused on making major scientific contributions to the worldwide effort to control the devastating co-epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV and on training a new generation of scientists in Africa.
