Science Article Summary #13

BBC News. “Drugs ‘could stop spread of Aids’.” BBC MMX. February 21, 2010. [Internet]. [accessed Feb 21, 2010] Available from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8526690.stm

Drugs ‘could stop spread of Aids’

Top scientists, including Dr. Brian Williams of Sacema, now believe that anti-retroviral treatments (ARVs) and universal testing could stop the spread of Aids in areas such as South Africa within the next five years. Although it would cost between $2 – 3 billion per year to deliver these drugs to the more than 6 million HIV-positive patients in South Africa, even if 30% are able to receive the drugs, it would help prevent transmission of the virus.

In addition to the ARVs used to treat the disease, scientists are still working on a vaccine for Aids, but it may be a long time before an effective one is achieved. Dr Williams spoke about HIV and Aids at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He believes that these new drugs are helping to keep many of infected individuals alive, while reducing their viral load up to 2,000 times, thereby achieving an almost non-infectious state.

The drugs work best when given early in the course of infection and may not be as effective in later stages of Aids. It unfortunately has no effect on HIV transmission because most infected individuals have already transmitted the virus by the time they receive ART treatment.

Clinical trials have already begun in the US, Canada and sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Williams hopes that trials in South Africa can begin in the next one or two years, since it can take up to five years to make sure all of the HIV positive individuals there receive ARV treatment. The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease is about to begin trials in New York and Washington DC in areas that have an HIV rate similar to that in Africa. Once these trials are conducted, they can then move forward with trials in South Africa.