-

Archive for January, 2010

More on TaqMan Viral Load Testing

Paul Sax • January 29th, 2010

Categories: HIV, Infectious Diseases, Patient Care

(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Since I first discussed the disruptive effect of introducing Mr. TaqMan to our clinic, many others have weighed in. One of my favorite reports is a nice paper from the Alabama group, presented first at IDSA, and soon to be published.  It shows not only a higher rate of low-level detectable results, but also the [...]

No Vicriviroc — Yet

Paul Sax • January 27th, 2010

Categories: HIV

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Apparently, Merck — taking over for Schering-Plough — will not seek approval for vicriviroc in treatment-experienced patients: In two Phase III studies in this patient population, vicriviroc did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint. These studies enrolled a high percentage of patients who had three or more active drugs in their optimized background therapy regimen. [...]

Hey, Didn’t You Used to be the Cause of CFS?

Paul Sax • January 17th, 2010

Categories: Health Care, Infectious Diseases, Patient Care, Research

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

The report last year that xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was found in a high proportion of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) caused quite a stir — which is totally understandable given how frustrated the people with CFS are with the lack of adequate explanations for their suffering. The investigators of the original [...]

Magic Wand Destroys H1N1 — and More!

Paul Sax • January 14th, 2010

Categories: Infectious Diseases, Patient Care, Policy

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

From the folks at Hammacher Schlemmer comes this extraordinary device: Tests performed by an independent antimicrobial testing laboratory showed the wand destroyed 99.98% of the H1N1 virus after a five-second exposure when held 3/4″ above the contaminated surface. Also capable of killing MRSA, mold, and dust mites, the UV-C light penetrates viral and bacterial membranes [...]

Ceftobiprole’s Long Road to Approval Gets Longer

Paul Sax • January 10th, 2010

Categories: Health Care, Infectious Diseases, Patient Care, Research

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Cephalosporins with activity against MRSA are out there, but we don’t have them yet.  Just recently, the leader of the pack, ceftobiprole, hit another roadblock: The FDA has indicated in its Complete Response Letter to Johnson & Johnson PRD that it has completed the review of the application and has determined that it cannot approve [...]

Top 10 Stories of the Year

Paul Sax • January 1st, 2010

Categories: Health Care, HIV, Infectious Diseases, Patient Care, Research

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

No end-of-year wrap-up is complete without a “Top 10″ list, and Journal Watch: AIDS Clinical Care is no exception. This year we did two lists, one chosen by the Editors, the other a numeric tally of what’s read on line by the Readers. The “When to start” issue was the top story from the Editors. [...]