All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Infectious Disease

Etravirine is a novel and very promising NNRTI since it has not cross-resistance with the existing NNRTIs (efavirenz and nevirapine), and also encompasses excellent efficacy, convenience, and a good tolerability.

A new NNRTI that overcomes class resistance and with a low threshold for development of resistance will be a useful addition to our antiretroviral armamentarium.

HIV therapy must be the strongest and the most safe therapy ; NNRTI are the key drugs for this kind of therapy. When you,doctor,begin a  naive HIV therapy, you must think that your patient should be treated for a very long time , maybe for a whole life period ; it'simportant...

Vaccines have been shown again and again to be cost-effective tools. Fortunately, pediatric vaccines are generally given, since the schools enforce the requirements. But adults would benefit as well.

Three Comments Come to Mind: 1) New vaccines are not well publicized so many people don't know what is being developed. 2) Vaccine development has not been historically profitable, so many pharma companies still have sour tastes in their mouths. Biotech companies are able to find ways to make new vaccines...

Vaccines do not get the PR that ED drugs do.Perhaps if they did  the public would understand their importance. TV shows that propose that vaccines are harmful clearly do not help.

In the two large phase 3 registration trials of albinterferon alfa-2b (Albuferon, Human Genome Sciences), called ACHIEVE-1 and ACHIEVE-2/3, several patients in the arm using Albuferon 1200 mcg per 2 weeks + RBV were found to have serious pulmonry adverse events.  Such serious events were not...

It is disappointing that Medicare does not pay for well exams where vaccines like this would be given.  It is unfortunate that in an attempt by medicare to save money, they are probably losing money.  It is at the annual well exam where I counsel patients on the vaccinations that they should...

A phase 2 study in Egypt of hepatitis C genotype 4 showed that the viral cure or SVR rate (here actually SVR12 = %HCV RNA negative at post-Rx week 12, real SVR is at week 24) is much improved when nitazoxanide is added to standard therapy.  SVR12 was 79% in nitazoxanide + Pegasys + ribavirin...

In the phase 1a (single ascending dose, SAD) trial, ITMN-191 was found to be safe in the first doses tested, and more cohorts will be tested with higher doses.  Details of the study will be presented later in quarter 1 of 2008.  Multiple ascending doses (MAD) in a 2-week monotherapy phase...