Now online at AIDS Treatment News:

*** Behind "AIDS Breakthrough" Headlines, December 2004: Important
Research, Not So New
The mid-December press reports about an AIDS drug breakthrough were
exaggerated, but the research described is important. It concerns the
development of a class of related experimental drugs that work like
efavirenz or nevirapine, but appear to be more powerful and much less
subject to resistance.
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/dapy-drugs.html

*** Warning: Do Not Combine Reyataz and Prilosec
The combination has been found to reduce blood levels of the
antiretroviral to about a quarter of what they should be.
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/reyataz-prilosec.html

*** India Changes Patent Law to Meet WTO Treaty, Making New Medicines
Less Available to Most Citizens, Other Countries
India changed its pharmaceutical patent law to conform to the
U.S.-European system, just ahead of a Jan. 1 World Trade Organization
deadline -- meaning that most new medicines (patentable in 1995 or
later) will be priced out of reach of the great majority of people in
India -- and in Africa and other poor regions as well.
"The real issue for the multinational corporations is not the
poor-country markets, which are financially small and unattractive, but
the poor-country examples. How would thousands of people in rich
countries, especially the U.S., be persuaded to accept death from
cancer and other diseases because they cannot pay tens of thousands of
dollars a year for a new generation of treatments that could save their
lives -- if companies in India could manufacture and sell the same
treatments for a small fraction of the price?"
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/india-patent.html

*** Africa: Children's Access to Prophylaxis May Improve After Medical
Study, New WHO Recommendations
On November 22, 2004, days after The Lancet reported that the cheap
antibiotic co-trimoxazole (Septra, Bactrim, and other brand names) had
dramatically reduced death in a group of Zambian children with HIV, the
World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS and UNICEF released a statement
recommending the drug for all children with HIV symptoms in poor
countries. But activists say the global health authorities' seemingly
quick action came years -- even decades -- late, and it will take a lot
more work to actually deliver the drug's lifesaving promise.
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/africa-prophylaxis.html

*** Treatment Interruption: Most Patients Could Not Maintain Immune
Control
Some patients treated very early with an experimental protocol (that
stopped and restarted antiretroviral treatment when certain conditions
were met) were able to stop antiretrovirals entirely and control their
viral load without the drugs for at least 90 days. But after two years,
only three of fourteen were still able to control the virus without
treatment.
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/early-interruption.html

*** Retroviruses Conference Reminder: You Must Complete Housing Process
to Attend
Those accepted for the retroviruses conference in February must
complete the housing-registration process even if they do not need
housing, or their registration will be cancelled.
Full article: http://www.aidsnews.org/2004/12/retro-housing.html


--
John S James
AIDS Treatment News
www.aidsnews.org