Be positively aware with the all-new Positively Aware e-update!
With the prospect of several new types of HIV drugs realistically on the horizon, this just...

FDA panel recommends approval of Merck’s raltegravir – the first drug in a new class of HIV drugs
Earlier this month, a panel of medical experts brought together by the Food and Drug...

Target and Walmart offer $4 generic drug program
There is good news for the millions of people who are un/underinsured in this country...

Large sperm washing study yields no HIV infections
The September 2007 issue of AIDS (the journal of the International AIDS Society)...

The GRACE study seeks more women
If you or someone you know is an HIV-positive woman who has been on at least one...

Be positively aware with the all-new Positively Aware e-update!

With the prospect of several new types of HIV drugs realistically on the horizon, this just may be the second most promising and exciting era for HIV treatment and education – the first being the introduction of protease inhibitors, which drastically increased the life spans of people living with HIV.

In an effort to keep you up-to-date on the ever-evolving world of HIV, the staff at Positively Aware is pleased to bring you the Positively Aware e-update. Our bi-weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you abreast of all the latest happenings in HIV treatment, prevention, and care, in between editions of Positively Aware – the nation’s most widely read HIV treatment education journal.

We hope that you find the update to be a valuable resource and, as always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Back to top

FDA panel recommends approval of Merck’s raltegravir – the first drug in a new class of HIV drugs

Earlier this month, a panel of medical experts brought together by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously recommended accelerated approval of a new HIV drug known as raltegravir, or Isentress, as it has officially been branded by its creator, Merck.

Studies of the drug show that it is effective at reducing levels of HIV in HIV-positive patients when other available treatments are no longer working. Raltegravir, the first in a new class of HIV medications known as integrase inhibitors, works by blocking the process that HIV uses to insert its genetic material into human DNA. It specifically targets an enzyme used for replication known as integrase.

This new class offers hope for the nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. who have developed resistance to the other available classes of HIV medications that are currently approved.

“I tried everything available and paid the price with a multi-drug-resistant virus,” says Matt Sharp, an activist and the Director of Education and Advocacy at TPAN, who testified on the panel and has been living with HIV for nearly 20 years. “My case shows that raltegravir, especially used with at least one other antiretroviral drug, will save lives.”

Side effects reported in the initial studies of the drug include rash, diarrhea, nausea, and headache. Merck has proposed a plan to manage the drug’s risks, which would include a program to monitor for drug resistance and cancers, a pregnancy registry, and additional clinical trials.

Back to top

Target and Walmart offer $4 generic drug program

There is good news for the millions of people who are un/underinsured in this country. Major retailers Target and Walmart are now offering a $4 generic drug program which will allow prescriptions to be filled for a variety of generic medications, including antibiotics, blood pressure, allergy, and some psychotropic drugs…for only $4! For some, this could result in huge savings annually, as these same generic drugs could cost up to $25 at other pharmacy outlets.

For more information, visit:
Target's pharmacy info
or
Walmart's drug list

Back to top

Large sperm washing study yields no HIV infections

The September 2007 issue of AIDS (the journal of the International AIDS Society) reported results from a large European study which demonstrated sperm washing to be a safe and effective reproduction method for sero-discordant couples – where the male partner is HIV-positive and the female partner is negative – wishing to procreate.

According to researchers, of the 1,036 couples involved in the study, none of the HIV-negative women became infected with the virus after undergoing assisted reproduction (including intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization) using sperm washing.

Researchers documented 533 pregnancies within the study resulting in 463 live births, of which all of the children born were HIV-negative. While these results are promising, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not currently endorse sperm washing. Some states, however, are working to make this groundbreaking technology available to its HIV-positive citizens. 

For more information on sperm washing and other effective reproductive methods for people living with HIV, take a look at the September/October 2003 issue of Positively Aware.

Back to top

The GRACE study seeks more women

If you or someone you know is an HIV-positive woman who has been on at least one anti-HIV regimen, the GRACE study might be of interest to you.

This study seeks to compare the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of a fairly new anti-HIV protease inhibitor (PI) drug, Prezista (darunavir), by gender and race. The drug will, for the purpose of this study, be used in conjunction with other anti-HIV drugs.

For more information, call toll-free (866) 512-7943 or e-mail gracestudy@wilm.ppdi.com
your questions, comments or suggestions to publications@tpan.com.

Back to top