POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Research News & Studies => Topic started by: bear60 on July 16, 2007, 03:23:32 pm
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Well ...looks like we are about to get some of the long awaited drugs which offer hope to those of us who have become or are becoming resistant to the current batch of HIV drugs. I do not know much about these drugs but since I did not find anything about this posted here I thought it would be a good idea to post.
The article was ( are you ready) in the BUSINESS section of the Sunday Inquirer. I am not going to bore everyone so here is the salient part:
"Getting the new HIV drugs:
All three HIV drugs may be available through expanded access programs. But patients must show they cant use existing drugs.
1. Isentress: 1-800-327-6751 or go to http://www.earmrk.com/
..this drug inhibits the integrase enzyme which is critical for the replication of the HIV
2. Celcentri: 1-800-275-4488 or go to http://maraviroceap.com/
..this drug binds with a receptor on the white blood cells and prevents HIV from entering the cell in that way
3. Etravirine: 1-866- 889-2074 or email to TMC125EAP@i3research.com
(Etravirine is an NNRTI but shows some promise for reaching undetectable where other NNRTI's fail)"
Note: the article said that 2/3 of the resistant patients in the Isentress study went to undetectable viral levels
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I'm switching from fuzeon to Isentress as soon as it is approved in a few months. All of these have been discussed in previous threads, albeit in their pre-market names (MK-0518, maraviroc, TMC-125 etc.) and are listed in AIDSmeds under "Drugs" in the upper left corner.
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Thats great David, I wish you the best with trhe switch. Thanks for the update. I didnt recognize these drugs.
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Oh, and I'm reading an article in the Philadelphia paper (is that where you read this?) and they mention my HIV doctor in it!
click for article (http://www.philly.com/philly/business/8515522.html)
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Yes thats the article. It was in the Sunday July 14th Philadelphia Inquirer. Good pics too.
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Here's a related topic on this forum from a few weeks ago. These are all fantastic news, and yet more reasons to be hopeful about the future. J.
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=12874.0
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Yes, it's fantastic news for those of us who have tapped out all the other meds. It's not particularly great for newly diagnosed individuals. None of these will be first line treatments.
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None of these will be first line treatments.
I dunno about that. Given that the treatment naive tend to have the R5 variant of HIV, and the treatment experienced tend to have X4 or dual tropic virus, I imagine that the CCR5 inhibitors will find a place in first line therapy as time goes on.
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I was not meaning to say that they'd NEVER be first line treatments, obviously one can't predict that. I would have used the word "ever" if I'd meant that.
It was more a general cautionary statement for people unfamiliar with these HIV medications saying "Oh! Three new drugs omgomgomg we are saved!"
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That's me in the article.
(And on the additional picture links, that's me with my husband, Colin.)
I'm taking Fuzeon, Isentress & Truvada. After 17 years of HIV treatement, my viral load finally went to undetectable. It's never done that before. CD4's doubed to 440 within two months.
Beyond the usual Fuzeon side effects, I have insomnia, which is cured by Ambien CR. The first month I also had severe headaches that got worse as the day went on. Those went away with time. If it weren't for the Fuzeon, this would be a VERY easy combo to take. Well, Fuzeon is easy enough, just time consuming!
Any questions? Feel free to email me at PositiveLiving@aol.com. I don't check these boards often enough to reply to any questions you may post here.
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Bear, Philly, thanks for the article and the links!! Very good article !
Ray
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My numbers have been all over the place and I am going onto Raltegrevir (Isentress) from next week.
I have been on Prezista, Abacavir, Emtriva and Ritonavir for about the past 6 months and my numbers have gone backwards instead of improving.
It will be interesting to see if the new drug can lower my VL and raise the CD4's to where they should be
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Good luck with the Isenstress Scud, and please do keep us posted on how it goes, as we are all anxioulsly waiting to see how well it works. Hopefully you will have excellent results and drop down to undetectable! J.
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I can't wait to get off Fuzeon and on Isentress in October (assuming that is still the target date for FDA approval). I've been a rather vocal propenent of Fuzeon on Aidsmeds, but I'm getting tapped out with it. In the last 3 months my injections have become more troublesome, whereas previously compared to most people they were very tolerable.
Push come to shove I can deal with my increased injection site reactions, but with Isentress coming out there simply is no reason to continue with it. Numerically speaking my labs are beyond perfect so it will be fascinating to see how high they remain after switching.
Right now I just hope the wait is not longer than anticipated. First I was told September, then read October... I'm sure that means 10/31 or something so basically November. Then it has to be approved on insurance and ADAP formularies. So basically another three months... which is way tired because it was "3 months" until approval 2 months ago at my last doctor's visit.
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Yes, it's fantastic news for those of us who have tapped out all the other meds. It's not particularly great for newly diagnosed individuals. None of these will be first line treatments.
Well, given the zero probability of a cure for HIV infection in the short and medium run, i would say that this is great news for newly diagnosed individuals too, cause, short of a cure for HIV in the foreseeable future, all of the recent infected will inexorably become treatment experienced patients over time.
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Quote from: philly267 on July 16, 2007, 05:25:43 PM
Yes, it's fantastic news for those of us who have tapped out all the other meds. It's not particularly great for newly diagnosed individuals. None of these will be first line treatments.
Well, given the zero probability of a cure for HIV infection in the short and medium run, i would say that this is great news for newly diagnosed individuals too, cause, short of a cure for HIV in the foreseeable future, all of the recent infected will inexorably become treatment experienced patients over time.
If it was not clear, though I think it was, I obviously meant "short term"
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There was an updated story on Bloomberg today in regards to FDA & Isentress
Studies by Merck show the medicine reduces HIV in the blood of patients with resistant forms of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, staff of the Food and Drug Administration said in documents posted today on the agency's Web site. A panel of expert advisers to the FDA will meet Sept. 5 to recommend whether Isentress should be cleared for sale.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ad60hUcf11Vk&refer=news
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I am actually going to be taking part in a clinical trial of Isentress (if that's what it's marketed as in the US). It will be a cross over trial, in which 1/2 get placebo and 1/2 get active drug, inititally, and then those two groups switch. It'll be a 24 week study. You have to have had your viral load undetectable for 6+ months, and by the time the study takes place mine will have been.
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There was an updated story on Bloomberg today in regards to FDA & Isentress
Studies by Merck show the medicine reduces HIV in the blood of patients with resistant forms of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, staff of the Food and Drug Administration said in documents posted today on the agency's Web site. A panel of expert advisers to the FDA will meet Sept. 5 to recommend whether Isentress should be cleared for sale.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ad60hUcf11Vk&refer=news
Oh thanks, I actually googled yesterday when I posted to see if there had been any updates but I see this article just appeared today. Maybe I'll actually be taking this in October -- hope so.
I feel so "cutting edge" getting to try everything that's new. I snagged my Prezista while it was in Phase 3 trials.