HIV Infection Treatment During Pregnancy

What can be done to help prevent HIV infection during pregnancy? Many couple are worried about this situation. If not worried for them self then for their coming child. Most latest research study says treating HIV during pregnancy is good for both mother and child.

A research study concluded that taking HIV medicines during pregnancy by HIV positive (and Hepatitis C Virus or HCV) woman reduces risk of transmitting both HIV and hepatitis virus to baby. This is quite relieving result for women who are HIV positive and also pregnant. The study result presented at Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Seattle, America. read study details here.

HIV Pregnancy Treatment

ARV therapy or Antiretroviral therapy (anti HIV drugs are called antiRetroviral drugs) reduces Mother-to-child transmission of HIV virus. In past, research studies on mother to child transmission, showed that 19% babies born with HCV to mother infected with both HIV and HCV viruses. 2% to 5% babies born with HCV to mother with HCV infection only. It is not known whether modern HIV treatment prevents MTCT for HCV virus. Past studies on transmission of virus to child from mother were conducted when ARV therapy was not widely used in women with HIV and HCV viruses.

The study has been conducted by Dr Claudia Checa Cabot and her team members. Dr Cabot is an MD at National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Treating HIV infection in women with hepatitis C and HIV virus may reduce transmission of both viruses in baby.

Dr Cabot took data from another study conducted between 2002 to 2008 called 'Perinatal and Longitudinal Study in Latin American Countries'.

Sumagen Canada Inc. awarded $728,000 for their HIV/AIDS

National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

awarded Sumagen Canada Inc. a financial contribution of up to $728,000 to support their

human clinical trials for the preventative HIV/AIDS vaccine on Friday (Jan.12).

The tests are based on genetically modified ‘killed whole virus’, called SAV001.United States

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last December gave approval to Sumagen Canada to

start the first of three phases of clinical trials.

The preliminary studies showed no adverse effects or safety risks, during test it was also

found that the HIV vaccine stimulate strong immune responses, the tests was undertaken at

University of Western Ontario. Canada is one of few countries were the development of such

kind in HIV vaccine has been undertaken.

Sumagen Canada is getting a huge assistance from NRC-IRAP under The Canadian HIV

Technology Development (CHTD) Program and Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to test the

safety of the clinical trail of first of three phases which is going to start in this month.

Canadian HIV Initiative (CHVI) initiates CHTD Program which is a partnership between

Melianda Gates foundation and Government of Canada.

28 million people have been killed due HIV/AIDS virus worldwide, and at present 35 million

people are living with the virus. Pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions all

over the world have made numerous trials since 1983 when the virus was first typified. Till

now no commercialized vaccine has been made.

Till now the vaccines that have been developed focuses on recombinant viruses carrying the

HIV genes or it concentrates on specific elements of HIV.

FDA Confirms: No Link Between Abacavir and Heart Attack

Abacavir that is used to treat HIV and Aids also known as NRTI (Nucleo side analog reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor) and is an FDA (Food And Drug Administration) approved drug. As it is branded as Ziagen was used to treat antiretroviral treatment in UK and US. It is generally consumed with other antiretroviral medications to treat HIV. Trizivir, and Epzicom can also have Abacavir as its chief ingredient.

After 26 stringent tests sand analysis, the US FDA stated that there is no correlation between Abacavir and heart attack. After various RTI (Randomized Control Tests), this information has been noted in many.

This threat was posed after the DOD study where it was founds those patients who have been consuming Abacavir have 70% increased chance of facing problems related to heart attack.
Since FDA has not yet alerted about this medication, it has been seen that the doctors can continue advising their patients to continue consuming these drugs. Again it is unsafe to stop the consumption without any indication from the Doctor. Unless you experience any side-effects there is no necessity to avoid the consumption. Since there is no statistical evidence to prove this fact, there is no need to worry.

The doctors have asked the patients to remain calm when they come across such rumors until they hear anything from the health care professional or FDA.

The clean chit given to this medication has made consumers feel confident about the consumption. FDA says that if anything as such it is to be announced it would immediately announce it.