Event review: HIV Glasgow 2014
The official opening of the conference started with a memorial lecture dedicated to Joep Lange and Jacqueline van Tongeren by Peter Reiss, followed by the presentation of the ‘Thai Scholarship’. This scholarship for Thai physicians was established in memory of the researcher Khanakpon Satjawat who lost her life while attending the HIV Glasgow congress two years ago.
The scientific program of the 5-day conference, as well the background of the speakers, was very diverse. In addition to health care providers and scientists, politicians, patients and activists were also represented.
New drugs and treatment strategies
New antiretroviral drugs in various stages of development were reviewed, including a long-acting agent (cabotegravir) that could be injected quarterly and an agent in the new drug class of attachment inhibitors (BMS-663 068). In addition, studies were presented on the effect of adjusting current regimens, such as lowering the dosage of efavirenz or treating with (ritonavir-boosted) protease inhibitor monotherapy.
Co infections and comorbidity
In addition to therapeutic considerations, attention was paid to the risk assessment and diagnosis of comorbidities in the ageing patient population. For example, one study showed that the PSA level in HIV-infected patients, measured when screening for prostate cancer, may differ from that in the general population. Furthermore, management of co-infections with resistant strains of tuberculosis, a growing problem and matter of concern, was also discussed.
Politics and costs
Social and economic issues regarding the spread and treatment of HIV infections were thoroughly covered during the congress. The influence of legislation on the course of the epidemic and the prognosis of patients was illustrated by UN envoy Michael Kazatchkine, who spoke about the potential consequences of the ban on harm reduction programmes (i.e., provision of sterile needles and methadone to intravenous drug users) in the Crimea after the Russian takeover.
Efficiency in healthcare, a topical issue worldwide, was also discussed extensively. Potential ways to reduce costs within the field of HIV were evaluated, such as task shifting between medical specialists and paramedics and the prescription of generic antiretrovirals. For example, a cost effectivity analysis, presented by Andrew Hill (University of Liverpool), showed that switching all patients in Great Britain to available generics could save an estimated 1.1 billion pounds over the next 5 years. Another study associated with the use of generics examined the willingness of patients in the Netherlands to switch to multiple pills (a consequence of switching to generics), with the aim of cutting costs. Nearly half of the respondents indicated that they were willing to switch to multiple pills. The results of this study, which used data from Stichting HIV Monitoring (SHM), were presented on a poster during the conference by Esther Engelhard.
Stichting HIV Monitoring data
SHM contributed to a number of other studies presented at HIV Glasgow, including both national studies and international research collaborations (such as D:A:D and COHERE).