New Gel Reduces HIV Infection in Women

Updated July 1, 2025

The report of the results of Safety and Effectiveness of 1% Tenofovir Vaginal Microbicide Gel in South African Women: Results of the CAPRISA 004 Trial. 

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Promising New HIV Antibody Discovered

This is an exciting new finding.

For more details, read this Medical News Today article, Antibodies That Prevent Most HIV Strains From Infecting Human Cells Will Advance HIV Vaccine Design, Antibody Therapy For Other Diseases.

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HIV AIDS - 97 US Medicines in Testing - PharmaTimes

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Updated November 26, 2025

The original link broke.

You can still read about the same topic here:

U.S. Pharmaceutical Companies Developing 97 New Drugs and Vaccines to Fight HIV/AIDS - MedIndia:
https://www.medindia.net/health-press-release/US-Pharmaceutical-Companies-Developing-97-New-Drugs-and-Vaccines-to-Fight-HIVAIDS-53732-1.htm

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This is a really nice snapshot of some of the clinical testing going on in the HIV AIDS field, PhRMA's Pharmaceutical Researchers Are Testing 97 Medicines And Vaccines for HIV and Related Conditions. The article provides a quick overview for medicines grouped by:

1. Anticancer
2. Antiviral
3. Gene therapy
4. Immunomodulators
5. Vaccines
6. Other

Previous Posts: Abzymes Pinpoint The HIV Achilles Heel 109 HIV Drugs And Vaccines Under Development Listen To People With AIDS and HIV (audio)

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FDA Says Yes to IV Peramivir To Treat Flu

The FDA announced today that it has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the investigational antiviral drug peramivir intravenous (IV) in certain adult and pediatric patients with confirmed or suspected 2009 H1N1 influenza infection who are admitted to a hospital. Specifically, IV peramivir is authorized only for hospitalized adult and pediatric patients for whom therapy with an IV drug is clinically appropriate, based on one or more of the following reasons:

• the patient is not responding to either oral or inhaled antiviral therapy, or
• when drug delivery by a route other than an intravenous route -- e.g., enteral (absorbed by the intestines) or inhaled -- is not expected to be dependable or feasible;
• for adults only, when the clinician judges IV therapy is appropriate due to other circumstances.

I've been following this drug for sometime now, and I'm glad to see that it's found a niche during this flu pandemic. Additional Related Information From The FDA: EUA Letter of Authorization EUA Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers EUA Fact Sheet for Patients and Parents/Caregivers Information for Healthcare Professionals Sheet (HCP) on mandatory adverse event reporting for emergency use of peramivir under EUA 

Previous Posts: FDA Search Widget of Fraudulent H1N1 Products Got Wine Flu? Flu.gov Updated by HHS - New Resources Added 

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Start HIV Meds Early - Live Longer

Updated May 7, 2021

Original links broke.

You can still read about the topic here:

Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy improves HIV survival rates, study says - Medical Life Sciences News

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This Medical News Today article reports, "Early Initiation Of Antiretroviral Therapy Improves HIV Survival Rates, Study Says." The study results are available on the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) site, "Effect of Early versus Deferred Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV on Survival. This recent research "provides evidence that patients would live longer if antiretroviral treatment was begun when their CD4+ count was above 500." As with these kinds of studies, there's also the counterpoint opinion, such as this editorial, "When To Start Antiretroviral Therapy: Ready When You Are?" .... darn, NEJM truncated it... go back to the Medical News Today article, they summarize the gist of the editorial. 

Related Posts: New Guidelines Released for HIV Opportunistic Infections HHS Updates HIV Treatment Guidelines (free pdf) Flash - HIV Drug Treatment Needs To Start Earlier 

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HIV AIDS - Gene Research Shows Promise

Jay Levy of UCSF wrote a recent editorial in the NEJM (Levy, NEJM, 2/12/09), as reported in this Medical News Today article, New HIV/AIDS Research Directions Show Promise, NEJM Editorial Says. This is the first time I've read about this, and find it incredibly fascinating and exciting. Here are my takeaways from reading the article . . .

1. Recent HIV/AIDS research that examines the role certain genes play in inhibiting HIV progression shows promise for the development of new treatment measures
2. HIV enters the body through CD4+ T cells and then binds to the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4.
3. Research has found that people whose cells lack expression of the CCR5 gene typically demonstrate resistance to the virus.
4. Researchers examined the case of an HIV-positive patient with myelogenous leukemia who received a bone marrow transplant from a person whose cells lacked expression of the CCR5 gene. After two transplants, the researchers determined that the patient had no leukemia recurrence and no detectable level of HIV in the bloodstream
5. Levy says, "the result of this study [reported in the same NEJM issue] and others provide further encouragement for those examining approaches to treatment that reduce CCR5 [receptor] expression in persons with HIV." This is the study Levy refers to, Brief Report: Long-Term Control of HIV by CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation (summary).

Related Posts: 

CDC Adopts 2 New HIV Intervention Approaches
HIV Pre Exposure Prophylaxis - Very Sharp Two Edged Sword
Abzymes Pinpoint The HIV Achilles Heel
109 HIV Drugs And Vaccines Under Development
HIV AIDS Bone Marrow Transplant Cure - Skeptical View
HIV Treatment Goes Bionic
HHS Updates HIV Treatment Guidelines (free pdf)

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Treat Uncomfortable Winter Itch

It feels odd for me to be talking about Winter Itch. I live in San Francisco and it's been an incredibly mild winter. Recently, highs have been in the 60s. Nonetheless, I'm prone to getting Winter Itch. This Families.com write-up can help you identify it, and treat it, Winter Itch.

You might have Winter Itch if you're experiencing . . .

• Itching ("winter itch" isn't just a clever name)
• Dryness
• Flakiness

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Wow - FDA OKs Stem Cell Trial - This is a red letter day!

I'm thrilled to see some momentum gaining in this potentially rich area of clinical research. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted clearance for Geron Corp. to begin trials for the world's first study of a human embryonic stem cell-based therapy for people. Geron said it will begin a Phase I multicenter trial designed to establish the safety of its treatment, currently referred to as "GRNOPC1," in patients with complete Grade A subacute thoracic spinal cord injuries. Read more details in this Medical News Today article, US Approves First Trial Of Embryonic Stem Cells.

I'm of the opinion that stem cell research has been stifled for way too long, and it's good to see the appearance of these studies. What's your opinion?

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HIV AIDS Bone Marrow Transplant Cure - Skeptical View

Updated February 17, 2021

More current news:

Maryland HIV researcher on latest research: It's not a cure - WBAL-TV:

"Scientists used a cutting-edge stem cell transplant method to treat a woman's HIV, but a lead researcher in Maryland said it's too soon to celebrate. A U.S. woman is the third known person who is in HIV remission after receiving stem cells from umbilical cord blood, an American research team announced Wednesday."

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Updated May 1, 2021

The original link broke.

You can read more about the topic at:

Is “Cure” Still A Four-Letter Word? (PDF) - sfaf.org

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Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about this latest case report. However, there are alternate views of what this really means. See what I mean by reading this ABC Health Insider news article, "For AIDS, 'Cure' Is Still a Four-Letter Word." There are a couple of ways to think about this. If bone marrow transplantation really works in the long run, how do we make it widely available and affordable?! If it doesn't work, how long will it take to definitively confirm its ultimate failure?! What's your opinion? 

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Take The Weekend Off - That Means This HIV Med Too?!

Updated April 24, 2019

The original link broke.

You might also be interested in:
Gilead AIDS pill effective in study with weekends off

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Breaking news that taking a certain HIV medication, Atripla (Truvada combined with Sustiva) can be taken just during the weekday, therefore, giving a weekend off. Find out more in the Bloomberg news article, "Gilead AIDS Pill Effective in Study With Weekends Off." This is early research, so it's too early for long-term application. Here's some of the hoped for benefits . . .

1. This fits into most people's model of a weekday versus weekend life
2. The reduced schedule could reduce drugs costs by 29%
3. Viral levels can be kept the same with every day or weekday only regimens

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HIV Treatment Goes Bionic

Bionic man. Bionic woman. Now there's bionic assassins to treat HIV. Researchers have have engineered and tested a killer T-cell receptor that is able to recognize all of the different disguises that HIV is known to have used to evade detection. The researchers attached this receptor to the killer T-cells to create genetically engineered "bionic assassins" able to destroy HIV-infected cells in culture. For the full story, read this EurekAlert, "HIV's disguises no match for 'bionic assassins' - Implications for developing new treatments for AIDS." 

Previous Posts: The Health, Drug, Prescription, and GMP Supersite: HIV Hope and Breakthrough - Abzymes Attack HIV Achilles Heel (video) 

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Treat The Flu With Red Wine?!

Updated June 24, 2023

The original link broke.

You can still read about the same topic here:

Substance Found In Fruits And Vegetables Reduces Likelihood Of The Flu - Science Daily

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Flu season is here in full force, so it was fun to see this article in the Wine Spectator magazine, "Red Wine Chemical Cuts Flu Risk - Quercetin reduces susceptibility to influenza, especially after exercise." Although the research was conducted in mice, I'm hopeful that there's some benefit to be found in humans. The research was published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. I got my flu shot several weeks ago and hope to avoid catching the flu. But if I do, know that I'll be swilling some red wine, cheers!

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