Results Reported from Children with HIV Early Antiretroviral Therapy (CHER) Trial Suggest Early Treatment for HIV Infected Infants
The CHER study began as a trial to compare the effects of anti-HIV drug courses of different lengths in infants who became HIV infected at birth. A press release from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced that the results of the trial, being performed at two locations in South Africa, indicate that more HIV infected infants survive when they receive anti-HIV therapy before they are three months old. Currently, infants are recommended to receive treatment after they become sick or their immune system is weakened.
More information regarding infants and HIV infection is available: the NIAID fact sheet on HIV Infection in Infants and Children, and the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection. More information from NIAID on the CHER study is available at CHER Q & A.
Researchers Design New HIV Fusion Inhibitor Peptides
A team of researchers recently developed a series of fusion inhibitor peptides that were found to be stable, durable, and active against enfuvirtide-resistant HIV (PubMed). The study concludes that this research could lead to the development of more members of the fusion inhibitor class of antiretroviral drugs. Enfuvirtide, is the first approved member of the fusion inhibitor anti-HIV drug class.
Find out more information about fusion inhibitors:
