Flu Shot Reminder
Summary: A good time to get the annual shots is October or November, before the flu season begins.
New Approach to Mental Health: Interview with Jeff Hoeltzel, Community Living Room
by John S. James Summary: A Philadelphia program for people with a mental health diagnosis who are HIV-positive has won national recognition. We interviewed its founder for ideas and approaches others can use. CLR entrance CLR near entrance CLR living room —————————————- The unique Community Living Room in Philadelphia was selected as a model adult […]
AIDS Treatment News, New Toll-Free Phone Number, 800-804-8845
by John S. James Summary: Our new toll-free editorial and business number is 1-800-804-8845 — Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific time), or leave a message. This number is for editorial and business calls; please do not list it as a hotline. —————————————- We are […]
Isentress (Raltegravir) Pricing: Community Sign-On Letter
Summary: The Fair Pricing Coalition and others are collecting signatures until this important Merck drug (the first integrase inhibitor) is approved and launched. —————————————- The Fair Pricing Coalition is asking Merck to price its new and very important integrase inhibitor at a level everyone can live with. The letter is seeking organization and individual signers […]
AIDS News Feeds: The Future
by John S. James Summary: How news feeds can advance biomedical research — as well as helping people follow specialized news. —————————————- A great challenge today is to help people find the key information they want and need, in the tsunami of new material that keeps coming out. Search engines cannot replace human judgment for […]
Herzenberg Wins Kyoto Prize for Cell Sorter
Summary: The inventor of the machine used to count T-cells, collect stem cells, and measure or collect many other rare cells was awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prize for advanced technology, at a ceremony in Japan. —————————————- Leonard Herzenberg, Ph.D., professor of genetics at Stanford University, received the Kyoto Prize, often called the Japanese version of […]
Prisoner Death Rate Very High Immediately After Release
by John S. James Summary: During the first two weeks after release, prisoners in Washington State had 129 times the death rate from drug overdose, compared to other state residents — probably because they did not know how much less drug they could tolerate, after taking little or none of it prison. Cardiovascular disease, homicide, […]
Sustiva: Revised Drug-Interaction Information
Summary: The FDA added new drug-interaction warnings to the prescribing information for Sustiva (efavirenz). —————————————- On January 31 the FDA announced that the Sustiva (efavirenz) package insert had been changed “to include drug-drug interaction information regarding coadministration of efavirenz with rifampin, diltiazem, itraconazole, voriconazole, atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, pimozide and bepridil.” The complete list of changes […]
FUZEON: Avoiding Injection-Site Reactions
Summary: The FDA changed the FUZEON prescribing information to help avoid this common and unpleasant side effect of the drug. —————————————- On January 31 the FDA announced that the FUZEON (enfuvirtide) package insert had been changed to include precautions to avoid injection-site reactions, either using a needle, or the Biojector(r) 2000 needlefree injection system. For […]
AIDS Hotlines: 800-CDC-INFO, Toll-Free, 24-hr, English or Español
Summary: Quick reference for telephone information. —————————————- For AIDS information (such as where to get tested, transmission, symptoms, news stories, or local AIDS organizations), try 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636), toll-free 24 hours a day in English or Spanish; when asked, select option ‘1’ to reach a person for health information. Trained operators can answer many questions using […]