UCD Researcher helps identify the most effective initial treatment for HIV
Thursday, 22 May, 2008
The New England Journal of Medicine has published the results of a major clinical study to evaluate commonly-used HIV treatment regimes for patients starting therapy for the first time. A team of international researchers were involved in the study including Professor Bill Powderly, Head of
UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science.
The study has confirmed that one of the most frequently prescribed triple-drug combinations for initial HIV-1 infection is the most effective at suppressing HIV. The study also found that a two-drug regimen performed comparably for patients susceptible to severe side effects from nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) that form part of the three-drug regimen.
Professor Powderly explained the implications of the findings. “Even when various treatments become available on the market, it is extremely important to study their relative effectiveness and their side effects.”
There are currently at least 2,000 HIV patients being treated in Irish hospitals. Approximately 400 new patients are diagnosed each year and at least half require immediate therapy. “Advances in medical research mean fewer side effects, fewer pills and more effective long term treatment. Our patients are living longer and more normal lives,” Professor Powderly added.
Professor Powderly is Principal Investigator for the Dublin HIV Cohort, a project funded by the
Health Research Board to study the natural history and complications of HIV in a diverse population of patients infected with the virus. This study currently includes over 1,000 patients from major Dublin hospitals.
Translational research in infectious disease at the UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science has recently been recognised by
Molecular Medicine Ireland who awarded a Clinical Fellowship to Dr Eoin Feeney. Working alongside Dr Paddy Mallon, UCD Lecturer in Medicine and Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dr Feeney’s work will concentrate on the mechanism of long term side effects of NRTIs and in particular how they can contribute to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
