AIDS/HIV roundup

Nursing, Apr 2003

BREAKING NEWS

At the 10th Conference on Retroviruses conducted in Boston in February, European researchers presented encouraging data showing that with available drug treatment, HIV infection is survivable. According to a large study of people diagnosed with HIV, the risk of developing AIDS or dying of the disease fell by 80% between 1994 and 2002. Between September 1998 and 2002, the risk of AIDS or death fell by 80% every 6 months. "Even though therapy isn't perfect, it's working," said one researcher.

At the same conference, researchers reported on a disappointing setback in efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine. Three of four monkeys treated with an experimental vaccine developed by Merck & Co. have died, despite having mounted a promising antibody response initially. Several similar vaccines are currently being tested in humans, and this research will continue.

A highly accurate 20-minute screening test for HIV-1 infection has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for distribution to 100,000 clinical sites nationwide. The test, developed by OraSure Technologies, was approved for lab use in November.