Fauci asks for help

[leit]

"Fresh new ideas beyond the scope of classic vaccinology are urgently needed."

...And they have wasted more than a decade (Ho: HAART doesn't eradicate HIV in 2-3 years even in selected patients - Siliciano: more than 70 year of HAART are needed to purge reservoirs and get rid of HIV) involved in a pseudo-therapy that the Big Pharma would have developed anyway!

Once again, poor us!

[krh]

I keep reading negative posts/comment like this consistently from a select few.

How about instead of always focusing on the negative, focus on the positive.

There is a reason why vaccinology is difficult.  It IS difficult and even with vaccines out there they are not completely understood as to the mechanism.  Otherwise they would have found a cure for the common cold virus or cancer.  There has been signifigant strides in HIV care that has far outpaced MANY other diseases.

We have medications that give us our life back so we can LIVE.  Focus on that instead of what the drug companies AREN'T doing for you.  And if you can't do that then start your own drug company and do what you think they aren't providing.

Instead of scouring the internet for possible cures, how about living your life the fullest.

[keyite]

I keep reading negative posts/comment like this consistently from a select few.

Indeed. It is getting really tiresome. Like you say, if they think they can do better, then they should do us all a favour and get going and amaze the world with their brilliant discoveries. But then I guess it's easier to just criticise the efforts of others.

[newt]

But, in short, combo that reduces viral load to <50 copies/mL in peripheral blood is (1) likely to do so in other parts of the body (2) seems to stop HIV in its tracks -- no resistance, no further immune damage.

This may constitute a functional route to remission (of immune damage) if treatment is applied early enough.

What we need is better and simpler combo with less/no side effects short and long term at reasonable cost, This is the best chance in the short-medium term  post-infection (which answers the question in another thread about best hope to tackle HIV, prevention of infection notwithstanding).

Eradication is a big and difficult goal and a long way off. Immune based and/or other novel approaches are a long way from the clinic.

A version of Sustiva (or another NNRTI) which don't make you loopy and/or fuck your liver plus costs a few cents would be a better contribution to the fight against AIDS than testing a fancy new approach.

The loopy/liver question is a chemistry project, the few cents a matter of political will.

Okay, pills every day is not brilliant, so maybe some improvement in delivery, like a once in a while subcutaneous implant, would be icing on the cake.

 - matt

[Jake72]

A version of Sustiva (or another NNRTI) which don't make you loopy and/or fuck your liver plus costs a few cents would be a better contribution to the fight against AIDS than testing a fancy new approach.

The loopy/liver question is a chemistry project, the few cents a matter of political will.

Okay, pills every day is not brilliant, so maybe some improvement in delivery, like a once in a while subcutaneous implant, would be icing on the cake.

 - matt

Most definitely. Especially if, in addition, these 'new and improved' meds don't cause any sort of lipodystrophy, since this is, of course, a very troublesome (psychologically and emotionally, to say the least) long-term side effect potentially caused by a large number of current medications and is receiving disgustingly little attention.

[leit]

I keep reading negative posts/comment like this consistently from a select few.

Sorry, but I cannot report anything good if there is only negative news (or bullshit).

How about instead of always focusing on the negative, focus on the positive.

IMHO, there is nothing positive in HIV, really NOTHING.

We have medications that give us our life back so we can LIVE.

"Living with HIV" is an oxymoron (and let alone "living the fullest"), as far as I'm concerned.

And if you can't do that then start your own drug company and do what you think they aren't providing.

It's not my job, but I think I can nevertheless criticize Fauci's report, which is only a list of failures and obstacles that anyone has known for years.

[leit]

Thanks for your reply, "newt"!

This may constitute a functional route to remission (of immune damage) if treatment is applied early enough.

In Fauci's opinion, "early enough" means days/weeks after infection. Is this realistic?

Eradication is a big and difficult goal and a long way off.

...Expecially if there are "researchers" like Margolis who tell stories (valproic acid)!

A version of Sustiva (or another NNRTI) which don't make you loopy

If one prefers depression, here is the brand new Isentress in the real world.

Okay, pills every day is not brilliant, so maybe some improvement in delivery, like a once in a while subcutaneous implant, would be icing on the cake.

Injectable long-acting TMC278 looks attractive but... what if it gives adverse effects all of a sudden? Where is the antidote???

"Living with HIV", yeah!

[krh]

You've proven my point yet again.

If you only want to focus on the negative it's your choice, but please stop trying to bring the rest of us down.  There have been many successes with HIV care as well as failures.

Blaming everyone else for failure sounds like a lack of responsibility of oneself's issues.

Do you take medication yet Leit?  I've been on Sustiva/atripla for 5 years now (and started literally within weeks of infections, so yes it is realistic).  I have some dream/sleep issues.  but you know what, so what?  get over it.  Considering what my friends had to deal with 10-20 years ago (30-40 pills a day and death) I'll take it any day.

[MYSTERY]

Krh,

I most definetly agree with what you say and I to am very greatful at the advances they have made in treating this illness. But I also think we must never settle for what we have at this point. I think we need to find better treatments for people that are resistant to the current meds, and find better meds that one take less often with less side effect. It would also be nice to have something that we could take with out being worried about becoming resistant to it. But with that being said I think we must live each day of our lives to the fullest because complications of HIV/AIDS might not even be the thing that kills you. Lets not forget about cancer and the host of other terrible illnesses. Live life and enjoy life.

[Miss Philicia]

Nothing krh just said indicated that he/she is "settling" for anything, and I don't see anyone that advocates freezing HIV treatment where it is at the moment.

[freewillie99]

philly,

Is that a cat version of Bono?

[krh]

I appreciate your comment philly.

I am definitely not settling (not sure how that deduction was made, expecially since I have been in several studies even when I was negative). 

My only point is that if all you want to look at is the negative, that is all you are going to find.

Anyway, not trying to be overly critical, but people come to this site for some hope also.  Every failure leads to better understanding and eventually success. 

[leit]

If you only want to focus on the negative it's your choice, but please stop trying to bring the rest of us down.  There have been many successes with HIV care as well as failures.

This is the kind of *actual* good news one can currently find:
http://www.natap.org/2008/HIV/090508_01.htm
Be patient, but I cannot dance about with joy.

Do you take medication yet Leit?

Yes, I've been taking them for a dozen years. Does that matter?

Considering what my friends had to deal with 10-20 years ago (30-40 pills a day and death)

I DON'T WANT to consider that any longer, sorry. HIV is a global catastrophe and they chatter, play, rest on "their" old HAART-laurels (that aren't even theirs, but of pharmaceutical companies). This is what makes me furious, "krh"!

Fauci, like Gallo, the poor Montagnier (a seller of miracle papaya powders) and many others, are NOT true scientists/researchers, but mainly officiers. They'd better make their job selecting the most realistic and quickest ways to a cure and assigning funds/speeding up trials consequently.