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AIDS WALK DETROIT
It’s time to get serious about collecting pledges for the team. Our team number is 111.This is a very important fundraiser for us that is needed to maintain our meeting and office space in Ferndale. Check out our donor site HERE. Remember every penny you raise comes directly back to WINGS. Collect your pledges for team #111, you do not have to attend the walk in order to submit pledges. Our goal this year is $5000.00, so give us a helping hand by registering today! So far, we show only 3 members have registered for the team!
Calendar
September 11 Round Table Discussion 7PM
September 14-16 Board, Committee and Planning Meetings at the Cottages
September 18 Semi-Annual Membership Meeting (Financial Update)
September 25 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 2 Pot Luck Dinner 7PM
October 9 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 16 Pot Luck Dinner 7PM
October 23 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 26-28 Halloween Weekend at the Cottages
November 2-3 Cottage Clean-up weekend
Event Details
Board and Committee Members Meeting
The Board of Directors and all Committees will meet the weekend of September 14-16 at the cottages in Applegate, MI all Board and committee members are encouraged to be present. We ask that you make every effort to attend these important meetings. Your cottages will be named that weekend. Most meetings will be held on Saturday, but why not make a weekend of it and enjoy your cottages. You may check in as early as Thursday morning for a nice extended stay. Remember you must supply your own sheets (Queen size) and towels. Plan to bring your significant other for a relaxing weekend. Reserve your spot at retreat@wingsmi.org . An itinerary will be provided soon!
Membership Meeting
Six months have passed since our last membership/election meeting, on Tuesday, September 18th we will convene our semi-annual membership Financial Update Meeting. Please plan to attend to help in the planning stages as we move forward. Pizza, antipasto, and beverages will be available after the meeting.
Halloween Weekend at the Cottages, Applegate, MI
Here is your chance to experience the GREAT new Cottages on the Lake with a little (or a lot of) partying. Halloween will be celebrated at our cottages in Applegate this year. The whole complex is reserved for this FUN filled weekend. Not only will we have our regular contests-pumpkin carving, costume, and Cabin decorating. We will also have a Great community bon fire, progressive meals starting Cabin 1 and ending at Cabin 7. Plus there are many events going on in town including a Flannel Festival (Hmmm, wonder what that’s all about?). There will be a charge of $15 per person which includes your lodging, meals, pumpkins to carve, and a host of other surprises brought to you by your hosts Jim & Joe! There are only 30 spaces and it is first come first serve with paid reservations. It’s time to get a move on, to get a reservation sheet simply send your request to reservations@wingsmi.org and put Halloween in the subject line.
Cottage Clean-Up Weekend (NEW DATES)
Our cottage clean-up has been delayed due to Thanksgiving rentals, we will now close down at the end of November. Our cottages will be shut down for the Winter on December 1. We need members and volunteers to plan to spend the weekend of November 2-4 at the cottages to help with the Fall clean-up. There are many tasks to be preformed such as storing all outdoor furniture, cleaning up the grounds, etc. Then on the weekend of Dec 1-3 we will perform Winterization of the compound including draining all water lines, sealing doors and windows, shutting down and securing the cabins, etc. Those that volunteer for this shut down will be given top (meaning first) priority for use of the cottages next year! Sign up today at workbee@wingsmi.org
From the Thursday Morning eNews
Last Weeks eNEWS
You should have received your eNEWS dated August 30 on September 4. I switched my ISP last Tuesday which had the SSL settings that the eNEWS uses blocked. This problem has been resolved and regular delivery should resume this week on September 6th. Should there be further problems with your receiving the eNEWS please write to me at friendsa@comcast.net .
LOCAL ARTISTS UNITE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
(Ferndale, MI – August 29, 2007) Nearly 300 of Detroit’s most prominent artists will donate original pieces of art to be auctioned at the twelfth annual “ART WORKS FOR LIFE.” This exciting event will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at The Ritz-Carlton, Dearborn to benefit the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP). “ART WORKS FOR LIFE” will feature a live and silent auction with event auctioneer Jim Miller, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, valet or self parking and live musical entertainment. The Honorary Chairpersons for this year’s benefit are Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. The Honorary Host is Ms. Fanchon Stinger of FOX2 News/WJBK Detroit. Participating artists include Carl Demeulenaere, Jeanne Bieri, Mel Rosas, Sergio De Giusti, Claudia Shepard, Charles Alexander, Stephen Magsig, Anne Fracassa, Clint Snider, Jeri Hollister, Jo Powers and many others. Sponsors include: The Ritz-Carlton Dearborn, FOX 2 – WJBK, WDET-FM, Visteon Corporation, LaSalle Bank, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Tiffany Florist, The Detroit News, Metro Times, PR Newswire, HOUR Detroit Magazine, Eclipse Creative, Henry Ford Health System, Sodexho and Between the Lines. The Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) is a non-profit, community based organization that provides HIV/AIDS education programs for community groups throughout the Great Lakes Region. Since 1988, MAPP has provided thousands of HIV/AIDS prevention programs for over a half of a million people in the Midwest. Reservations are $85. For a complete list of participating artists, reservations or for more information please call (248) 545-1435 or visit www.artworksforlife.org .
Happenings
Sept 16 AIDS Walk Detroit www.aidswalkdetroit.org
Sept 22 HIV_Social Campout at Campit. It is being created by a guy in my space. You will have to go to mySpace and create an account to get to the info after you are added as a friend. Once you create an account search for HIV_Social Campout and add as a friend, after you are approved by Jeff then you can see his blogs on this page for the info..
Sept 25 FUZEON Empowerment Presented by: Midwest AIDS Prevention Project
Please join the Fuzeon empowerment group for a meeting on how you can achieve success with Fuzeon.
Speaker: Michele Daniel
You'll hear an inspirational story from a single mother of two with HIV who was able to transform herself & the course of her disease. Being diagnosed with AIDS in the early 90's, Michele had a T-cell count of only 59 & an extremely high viral load. Her struggles with AIDS took her through being very sick & even becoming a drug addict to pacify her pain. Thanks to her conviction to turn her life around, the help of case workers, & drug intervention that included Fuzeon, Michele's viral load is now undetectable & her T-cell count is strong. Michele is now actively participating in community outreach programs as well as educating others about living a full & productive life with HIV.Moderated by Brenda Stapleton of Roche Labs
Union Street, 4145 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48201 Food will be provided.Space is limited – You MUST Register by calling (248) 545-1435, Ext. 111
Sept 29-30 AIDS WALKS Michigan events will be taking place the weekend of September 30th. There are a total of seven AIDS Walks taking place throughout Michigan to raise important funds for local HIV/AIDS services. To get further information, register to walk or form a team, please visit www.aidswalkmichigan.org
Ann Arbor, Sunday, September 30, 2007, Detroit Edison Parking Lot (corner of Main and William)
Bay City/Saginaw/Midland , Saturday, September 29, 2007 Wenonah Park - Friendship Shell Downtown Bay City
Detroit , Saturday, September 29, 2007, Belle Isle Nature Zoo
Flint , Saturday, September 29, 2007, University Pavilion
Grand Rapids , Saturday, September 29, 2007, First Place Building (207 E. Fulton)
Lansing/East Lansing , Sunday, September 30, 2007, Valley Court Park
Traverse City, Sunday, September 30, 2007, Grand Traverse County Civic Center
Oct 12 Horizons Project founder retirement dinner
Twenty years ago, she had a vision that has saved lives and human spirits. Now, Kathryn Wright, D.O., founder of The Horizons Project, is retiring. A special retirement dinner and Inaugural fundraiser will be held Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Roostertail on the Detroit River. Dr. Wright sought to provide nonjudgmental, youth-sensitive care to adolescents and young adults living with HIV/AIDS. In 1994, she founded the Horizons Project which has evolved into Detroit's premier HIV/AIDS agency for Youth. Proceeds from the event will directly support the Horizons Project of the Children's Hospital of Michigan. For more information contact Linda Hyter at (313) 924-9493 or by email at lhyter@dmc.org
Nov 1-2 13th Annual STD & HIV Conference
Conference to be held at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti. For complete information go to www.hihivnews/std_hiv_conference_2007.htm
Dec 1 WOMEN'S HEALTH CONFERENCE, COBO HALL, 8:00-4:30PM The Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) of Southeast Michigan, St. John Health, Henry Ford Health Systems, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Wayne County Department of Health, The Detroit Health Department and Gilead Sciences would like to invite you to join them in hosting a women’s conference and health fair. The event will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at Cobo Hall and Convention Center located in the heart of downtown Detroit. ANAC has worked with many of the Detroit area community leaders in HIV/AIDS care in the past. We have enjoyed an extraordinarily good working relationship with many of you. It would be an honor to work with you once again to bring health education and prevention strategies to the women of the greater Detroit area. The conference Chair of this event is Michelle Caffey, CNP. I know many of you know Michelle and respect her expertise. I am sure many of you would enjoy working with her on this very important event.If you would like to participate in this project, please contact Michelle Caffey at the Detroit Health Department at (313) 876-4687 or at the Pontiac Health Department at (248) 322-6747. A response letter will follow if you choose to participate. Please contact Michelle by August 30, 2007 if you would like to join us in this very important effort (Michelle.Caffey@stjohn.org). Please join us at our first community partner’s planning meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 13, 2007 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History at 5:30-7:00pm. The museum is located at 315 E. Warren Ave. Detroit, MI 48201. Please RSVP to Ms Laura Hughes at lauraannhughes@gmail.com or (313) 494-5894.
In the News
Thousands of Condoms Returned to Washington, D.C., Health Department Because of Concerns About Packaging, Safety
Washington Post, 9/5
Tens of thousands of condoms that the Washington, D.C., Department of Health provided at no cost to residents have been returned because of concerns about the condoms' packaging and safety, the Washington Post reports (Levine, Washington Post, 9/5). District health officials in February distributed 250,000 condoms as part of the health department's efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The first batch of condoms went to several not-for-profit organizations and community health providers. The department said it aimed to distribute one million condoms by the end of 2007. The condoms' purple and yellow package is printed in English and Spanish and carries the slogan, "We've got you covered. Coming together to stop HIV in D.C." (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/16). According to the Post, concerns about the condoms "arose almost immediately" after the program began. Demand at two distribution sites established by not-for-profit organizations dropped by more than 80% shortly after the condoms were introduced. More than 2,000 packets were being distributed weekly in mid-March, but by late May, about 400 were being dispensed weekly, the Post reports. Volunteers said people complained about condom packets "ripping in purses or bursting open in pockets," and some recipients said they lacked confidence that the condoms would provide protection, according to the Post. In addition, the expiration dates on some of the condoms were illegible, the Post reports. Officials at about six organizations that had been distributing the condoms interviewed on Tuesday said they received negative feedback from clients. Many clients said that the condoms' packaging seemed substandard, according to the Post. "People were saying, 'These packets aren't any good,'" Franck DeRose -- executive director of the Condom Project, which was involved with the distribution program -- said. A coalition that includes the Condom Project returned about 100,000 condoms to the district, about 15% of what the city says has been distributed to groups. Metro TeenAIDS Executive Director Adam Tenner said some youths involved with the group "doubted the authenticity of the condoms" and wondered why the wrappers were not plastic or foil, like those sold in stores. "Distribution of those condoms has been really difficult," he said, adding, "The question becomes, how do we fix this?" DeRose said the not-for-profit groups tried to warn officials before sending back the condoms. "There was no talk about (getting) a different condom," he said, adding, "They said, 'This is what we have.'" The coalition, which launched a condom distribution program last fall, has begun purchasing its own condoms again. The coalition's condoms are being used up rapidly, according to the Post. The health department "apparently does not consider the situation a problem," according to the Post. Health department spokesperson Leila Abrar said in a statement, "To date, we have not received any substantive complaints." According to the statement, the district has distributed nearly 650,000 condoms since February through partnerships with 50 organizations. The health department has taken notice of the comments about the district condoms' packaging, the Post reports. According to Abrar's statement, the city will hold a "contest for new versions" of its next condom package.
Massachusetts Resists Implementing CDC Recommendation To Waive Written Consent Requirement for HIV Tests, Boston Globe Reports
Smith, Boston Globe, 9/1
Massachusetts is "resisting a year-old push by federal health authorities" to implement CDC's recommendations to waive a written consent requirement for HIV tests and make the tests a routine part of medical care for people ages 13 to 64, the Boston Globe reports. According to the Globe, Massachusetts is one of 10 states that require written consent for HIV tests.Health officials in Massachusetts say they share CDC's goal of making HIV testing more routine. Officials also say that they believe they can increase testing rates and still require written consent by conducting an additional 11,300 tests in health and family planning clinics and substance abuse treatment facilities over the next two years. Under the Ryan White Program reauthorization, the state could receive less federal funds if new HIV cases are diagnosed more slowly than in states that implement CDC's guidelines, although the amount is unclear. Massachusetts currently receives $19.5 million annually under the program, the Globe reports. About 12 states have passed laws in an effort to implement the CDC guidelines, according to the Globe.According to some state officials and HIV/AIDS advocates, stigma associated with HIV is still widespread, and written consent and pretest counseling should continue to be required. Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach said many health officials are concerned that people at high risk for HIV will avoid medical care if an HIV test could be conducted without their consent. Auerbach added that he might consider changing his position if waiving the written consent requirement would save the state money. The debate over written consent for HIV tests has "exposed a deeper divide" about whether HIV/AIDS should "continue to be regarded as something exceptional, with policies, resources and attention distinct from other conditions," the Globe reports. B. Dale Magee, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said the society "want[s] the state to treat HIV like other communicable diseases." Magee added that written consent is not required for tests for tuberculosis, gonorrhea or syphilis.The CDC guidelines state that testing should be voluntary and that patients should be told they are receiving an HIV test. According to Ben Klein, director of the AIDS Law Project at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the guidelines do not address the realities of medical care. "For doctors who are overworked and in busy health care settings ... there's going to barely be a discussion," he said, adding, "What has been really important about written consent is it's really not about the testing process alone. It's the beginning of a process and a relationship between the doctor and the patient that goes beyond testing".
Hospitalizations Among HIV-Positive Infants, Young Children in U.S. Decreasing Because of HAART, Study Says
Reuters Health, 8/29
Hospitalizations among HIV-positive infants and children younger than age five are decreasing because of the introduction and widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published in the August issue of Pediatrics, Reuters Health reports. Athena Kourtis of CDC and colleagues used the National Inpatient Sample database to examine trends in hospital visits among HIV-positive children and adolescents during the 10 years between 1994, before HAART was introduced, and 2003, after HAART was in widespread use. The researchers found that there were an estimated 3,420 hospitalizations among HIV-positive children ages 18 or younger in 2003, compared with 11,785 in 1994 -- a decrease of 71%. The decrease in hospitalizations was more apparent among infants and preschool-aged children, as the researchers recorded a 94% decrease among boys and a 92% decrease among girls in this age group, according to Reuters Health. The researchers recorded a 47% decrease in hospitalizations among boys ages 15 to 18 and an increase of 23% among girls in this age group. The inpatient fatality rates among HIV-positive children also decreased from 5% in 1994 to 1.8% in 2003, according to the study. In addition, the researchers found that hospitalizations for several HIV-associated conditions became less common after HAART was introduced and came into widespread use. These conditions include bacterial pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci, general bacterial infections, sepsis, systemic infections, fungal infections, brain infections and failure to thrive. The researchers did not observe any significant changes in the number of hospitalizations for Pneumococcus or cytomegalorvirus infections. The researchers wrote that they hope the study's findings will be used to examine the health needs of specific HIV-positive populations, including adolescents, as well as specific HIV-associated complications. They said that they also hope the study will help "define future policies in an era of competing health care priorities".
California Senate Approves Bill That Would Allow HIV-Positive Men To Have Sperm Washed, Used for Fertility Treatments
MediaNews/Oakland Tribune, 8/29
The California Senate recently voted 35-1 to approve a bill (SB 443) that would allow HIV-positive men to have their sperm washed and used for fertility treatments, the MediaNews/Oakland Tribune reports (Geissinger, MediaNews/Oakland Tribune, 8/29). The bill would allow the washed sperm to be used in treatments such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization under certain guidelines. The state in 1989 began prohibiting HIV-positive people from donating sperm, blood or tissue in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. The law has prevented HIV-positive men from using reproductive technologies that lower the risk of transmitting HIV to their partners. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Carole Migden (D), would allow couples that include HIV-positive men to use reproductive technology under the following guidelines: the HIV-positive donor's sperm is processed to minimize the risk of HIV transmission; informed mutual consent has occurred; and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recognizes the sperm processing procedures. California is one of two states where couples with an HIV-positive man cannot undergo fertility treatments with his donated sperm, Deborah Cohan, medical director of the Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center, said. She added that many of those couples try to conceive through intercourse, which increases the risk of HIV transmission to the woman and, potentially, to the infant. Of the 3,800 reported cases outside California in which couples with an HIV-positive man have used reproductive technology, not one case of HIV transmission has been reported, according to Cohan (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/30). The bill concurred in Assembly amendments and was sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Migden said that California law "needs to catch up with technology".
Internationally
New Delhi Records Increasing Number of AIDS Cases Despite Decrease in India's National Estimate, Report Says
IANS/Economic Times, 9/2
Although India recently reduced its HIV/AIDS caseload estimate, the number of AIDS cases in New Delhi has been increasing since 2000, according to a recent Ministry of Health and Family Welfare report, the IANS/Economic Times reports (IANS/Economic Times, 9/2). Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in July announced that the number of people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the country is about 2.47 million, or half of previous estimates, according to United Nations-backed government estimates. The new estimate decreases India's HIV prevalence from 0.9% to 0.36%, Ramadoss said. The new estimate was calculated with the assistance of international agencies, such as the United Nations and USAID. The earlier estimate was based on blood samples taken from pregnant women and high-risk groups, such as injection drug users and commercial sex workers. The new estimate was based on a population-based survey that took blood samples from 102,000 people to determine HIV prevalence among the general population (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/6). According to the report, the number of recorded AIDS cases in New Delhi has increased from 498 in 2000 to 5,082 in 2007. In addition, the city recorded 743 new AIDS cases and 97 AIDS-related deaths between January and June, the report said. According to a health ministry official, there are two potential reasons for the increasing number of AIDS cases in New Delhi: the city's mobile population and its antiretroviral treatment program. In addition, the large number of vulnerable groups in the city is contributing to the situation, according to Mahesh Ganesan, a doctor who works with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "It's a myth that a large population in Delhi is aware of AIDS," Ganesan said, adding, "Industrial workers and youth remain the main vulnerable sections. Higher prevalence of premarital sex, sometimes in adolescence, also contributes to the numbers." The national ministry of health recently launched the third phase of India's National AIDS Control Program, which aims to stop and reverse the spread of HIV during the next five years. In reaction to the NACP launch, New Delhi's AIDS Control Society has designed a program to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, according to a state health ministry official. The official added that railway stations, public transportation terminals and shopping areas will be the focus of the program, which involves radio and print advertisements, posters, banners and panel meetings.
Saudi Arabia To Require Mandatory HIV Testing for Couples Before Marriage
AFP/Yahoo! News, 8/29
Saudi Arabia starting next year plans to require couples wishing to be married to be screened for HIV, Khaled al-Zahrani, the Ministry of Health's assistant undersecretary for preventive medicine, said on Wednesday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. Couples will be required to receive tests for both HIV and hepatitis at one of more than 20 centers to be established nationwide, according to al-Zahrani. If either partner tests HIV-positive and the couple still wishes to marry, the case will be considered in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, al-Zahrani said. About 11,000 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in the country between 1984, when the first case was recorded, and the end of 2005, according to a health ministry official.
UNICEF Launches $500,000 Program in Zimbabwe To Train Teachers To Provide HIV Education
UN News Service, 8/28
UNICEF on Monday launched a weeklong, $500,000 program in Zimbabwe aimed at training 1,500 primary and secondary teachers on how to provide HIV prevention education, UN News Service reports. About 500,000 children will participate in the program, which will focus on teaching life skills for HIV prevention, addressing gender dimensions of HIV, fighting sexual gender-based violence and providing counseling.The program also will help teachers to understand and handle their vulnerability to HIV and will examine prevention, care, support and treatment, UN News Service reports. The program will be held at seven teaching colleges in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Mutoko. A similar program last year trained 1,200 teachers from 18 districts. The training will be provided by UNICEF; the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture; the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education; and VVOB-ZimPATH, a Flemish HIV/AIDS education project. About 20% of Zimbabwe's adult population is HIV-positive. A 2005 decrease in HIV prevalence in the country was attributed to delayed sexual activity among young people, faithfulness and increased condom use, according to UNAIDS.
HIV Self-Test Kits Ineffective Among High-Risk Populations, Study Says
Reuters Health, 8/28
Some HIV self-test kits are used improperly by high-risk groups, and such groups can interpret test results inaccurately, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Reuters Health reports. Vernon Lee of the Tan Took Seng hospital in Singapore and colleagues conducted the study at two major HIV/AIDS centers among 350 participants, 88 of whom were known to be HIV-positive, using Abbott Laboratories' Determine HIV 1/2 self-test. Ninety percent of the study participants before using the test said that the steps were easy to understand and that the instructions were easy to read and follow. However, the researchers found that 85% of the participants did not perform all of the test steps correctly or were unable to perform the test at all. They also found that as a result, invalid test results occurred in 56% of the cases, according to Reuters Health. The researchers also found that 12% of study participants were not able to interpret the test results correctly, including 2% who incorrectly interpreted positive results and 7% who incorrectly interpreted negative results. The Determine self-test when properly used had accuracy rates similar to Abbott's claims, according to the study. The researchers said that "blood sampling via finger prick and collection via capillary tube was difficult for participants." Lee added that the biggest issue for participants was collecting an adequate blood sample. According to the researchers, the participants known to be HIV-positive correctly performed the test and interpreted the results more often, which could indicate their "exposure to and experience with blood tests." They concluded that the "implementation of self-testing should be reconsidered until kit design and downstream issues have been adequately addressed." According to the study, 18% of participants cited inconvenience and long wait times as deterrents to receiving an HIV test at health care facilities.
Medically Speaking
FDA Releases Review of Merck's Antiretroviral Raltegravir Ahead of Panel Meeting To Determine Whether Drug Should Be Approved
Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/13
FDA on Friday released a review of Merck's experimental antiretroviral drug raltegravir ahead of a panel meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, to determine whether the drug should be approved, the Wall Street Journal reports (Corbett Dooren, Wall Street Journal, 8/31). Merck in June announced that FDA granted priority review status to raltegravir, an experimental integrase inhibitor. Raltegravir effectively decreases HIV viral loads after 24 weeks of use among HIV-positive people who have not responded to other treatments, according to a study published in the April 14 online edition of the journal Lancet. Raltegravir works by blocking an HIV enzyme called integrase. Integrase is one of the three enzymes necessary for HIV to replicate in the body, and integrase inhibitors stop HIV from inserting its genes into uninfected DNA. The other two enzymes necessary for viral replication, reverse transcriptase and protease, already are targeted by a variety of antiretrovirals (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/13).According to the FDA review, which was posted on the agency's Web site, raltegravir is effective at treating HIV-positive people who have shown resistance to available treatments. Rash and increased levels of creatine in the blood were the most common side effects of the drug, according to the review (Perrone, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 8/31). Other potential side effects include liver injuries and cancer, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 8/31). In clinical trials, a higher number of cancers were found among people taking raltegravir than among those taking a placebo, but the difference could be because of a lower rate of cancers among people in the placebo group, FDA said (Cohen, Newark Star-Ledger, 9/1).The FDA panel of outside experts will be asked if available data supports accelerated approval of raltegravir. The panel also will be asked whether raltegravir should be used only by people enrolled in clinical trials or by people "with few or no remaining treatment options," according to the Journal (Wall Street Journal, 8/31). FDA also will ask the panel if Merck should be required to conduct postmarketing studies on the drug (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 8/31). The agency is expected to make a final decision about raltegravir in mid-October (Wall Street Journal, 8/31). Merck said that if the drug is approved, it will be used in combination with standard oral antiretrovirals by HIV-positive people who have developed resistance to their current treatments. Raltegravir will be sold under the brand name Isentress.
