NAPWA

Adding the approved HCV protease inhibitor telaprevir (Incivo or Incivek) to pegylated interferon and ribavirin can increase sustained viral response rates even for difficult-to-treat liver transplant recipients, but adverse events are common, researchers reported at the 48th International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) last month in Amsterdam. While many hepatitis C patients await interferon-free direct-acting antiviral regimens, others

Pre-existing connection with primary health care is associated with more prompt diagnosis of HIV infection and an increased likelihood of virological suppression one year after diagnosis among gay men, investigators from the United States report in AIDS Patient Care and STDs. The findings of the study could have implications for 'test and treat' strategies

Infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) can cause rapid liver fibrosis in people with HIV who have low CD4 cell counts, case reports published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases show. Spanish investigators reported two instances of HEV infection in gay men with HIV who had severe immunosuppression. Treatment with ribavirin monotherapy

ACON has welcomed a recommendation from a NSW parliamentary committee to allow medical use of cannabis for people with terminal illness and AIDS.

ACON has welcomed a recommendation from a NSW parliamentary committee to allow medical use of cannabis for people with terminal illness and AIDS.

The recommendation was announced today in a report from the NSW Legislative Council Select Committee inquiry into the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

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People who believe their care providers know them as a person are more likely to keep their HIV clinic appointments, research conducted in the United States and published in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes shows. Patients also kept more appointments if their care providers treated them with dignity and

The grants are part of its Linking In-Need Communities to Care initiative. 

An all-oral regimen containing three next-generation antivirals taken for either 12 or 24 weeks produced sustained virological response in more than 90% of previously untreated genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients in a phase 2a study, according to interim findings presented last week at the 48th International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) in Amsterdam. The

A second-generation hepatitis C protease inhibitor, simeprevir, cured around 80% of previously untreated people with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection when combined with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, Professor Michael Manns of the University of Hannover Medical School reported on Saturday at the International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) in Amsterdam. On the basis of

Currently available triple therapies for hepatitis C carry a high risk of serious side-effects for people in the most urgent need of treatment, and these patients have only a moderate chance of being cured, according to the findings of studies of telaprevir and boceprevir treatment in people with cirrhosis at liver centres in France

An interferon-free regimen of daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, cured all previously treated hepatitis C (HCV) patients who did not respond to interferon-based triple therapy using the approved HCV protease inhibitors boceprevir (Victrelis) or telaprevir (Incivo or Incivek), according to a report on Saturday at the 48th International Liver Congress

Genetic background has a major impact on the risk of coronary artery disease for people with HIV, results of a large study published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases show. An unfavourable genetic background increased the risk of coronary artery disease more than some traditional risk factors such as high cholesterol. Treatment with

Boceprevir and telaprevir, the HCV protease inhibitors, greatly boosted exposure of the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc in a study of healthy volunteers. Pfizer investigators concluded that maraviroc can be dosed at 150 mg twice daily with these anti-HCV agents, as it is with other potent CYP3A inhibitors. And they determined that no boceprevir or telaprevir dose adjustments are needed with maraviroc. The findings may be clinically relevant because some work suggests maraviroc could have benefits in people with compromised liver function.

Congress prevented implementation until 2009. 

Two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine, one co-authored by ASHM President Edwina Wright and the other co-authored by board member David Cooper and ASHM member Anthony Kelleher - suggest that starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) early after HIV infection is diagnosed may improve patients' immune response, boosting the initial recovery of the immune system and delaying progression of the disease. A/Prof Edwina Wright and A/Prof Anthony Kelleher provided reviews about their respective research.

There has been an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) amongst MSM in New York City and Brooklyn. A total of 22 cases have been reported, 1 in 2010, 4 in 2011, 13 in 2012 and 4 in 2013. The age range of these patients is between 21-59 years. Read ASHM's advice for medical practitioners regarding vaccination advice, as well as information from Department of Health, Victoria for MSM travelling to New York, and a press release from AFAO.

Gay and other men who have sex with men (GMSM) travelling to New York City (NYC) should vaccinate against invasive meningococcal disease or IMD (neisseria meingitidis) prior to leaving Australia, following an extended outbreak of the disease among NYC gay men.

 

Gay and other men who have sex with men (GMSM) travelling to New York City (NYC) should vaccinate against invasive meningococcal disease or IMD (neisseria meingitidis) prior to leaving Australia, following an extended outbreak of the disease among NYC gay men.

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Plasma concentrations of protease inhibitors increase with age, investigators from the United Kingdom report in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Each ten-year increment in age was associated with a significant increase in concentrations of protease inhibitors in plasma. In contrast, there was no association between age and plasma levels of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) levels.

Over 13% of people with HIV-related Kaposi’s sarcoma experience a worsening of disease after starting antiretroviral therapy, an international team of investigators report in the online edition of AIDS. This paradoxical worsening of disease was attributed to immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) and was significantly more likely to occur among patients in southern Africa compared to

Cuts threaten to reduce services to about 600 clients with HIV/AIDS.