World Conference Offers Biannual Ups and Downs
The 14th World AIDS Conference, just ended in Barcelona, seemed a curious mix of frustration and passion. On the one hand, there were no major scientific breakthroughs to galvanize the clinical community, and the epidemiological projections for developing nations were grim, even shocking. On the other hand, attendees spoke of a pervasive sense of renewed commitment to fighting the epidemic worldwide, with a clear understanding that it’s a long-haul struggle demanding significantly enhanced resources.
There were noteworthy, if not exactly dramatic, announcements on the clinical front:
Researchers have concluded that anti-HIV treatment, as we now know it, will never eliminate HIV from an infected person’s body. There are cellular reservoirs which do not take up the drugs, and so preserve the virus.
Average U.S. annual per-patient health-care cost for advanced AIDS is $34,000, vs. only $14,000 for treating patients who are only HIV-positive. Once again, treatment is cost-effective!
There is a growing understanding of the HIV-associated metabolic disorders, especially lypodystrophy, many caused by the anti-HIV drugs. Learning to manage them will greatly enhance HIVers’ quality of life.
New anti-HIV drugs called fusion inhibitors are showing great effectiveness in trials and may be available within 2002. They cause fewer side effects because they work outside the T4 cell and thus don’t poison it.
Globally, there were purposeful statements from numerous leaders, especially the Europeans, addressing the massive worldwide HIV epidemic. We have heard much of this before, and then the money for these goals usually is not found. Time will tell whether the wealthier nations will come through in meaningful fashion.
This article appears in August 2 • 2002.