HIV TREATMENT: UCSF Unveils Clinical Outcomes Database

      In an effort to centralize real-world treatment outcomes for HIV/AIDS, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco are partnering with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to develop a new HIV/AIDS database, called HIVWatch. The UCSF Positive Health Program, based at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, is piloting the database, but the ultimate goal is to have treatment centers from around the world contribute clinical, pharmacy and patient data to the system. Dr. James Kahn, associate director of the UCSF Positive Health Program, said, "Information like this is valuable for tracking trends related to HIV disease and improving treatment strategies. There has long been a need for a definitive clinical database like HIVWatch." Kahn said that preliminary data demonstrate that many of the 12,000 participants in the pilot program have seen a decrease in their CD4 cells. At the same time, viral load levels have held steady. He noted that further "analysis will help determine why we are not seeing a reduction in viral load to match the increase in CD4 cells." Funded by an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, HIVWatch will be available soon on the Internet through HIV InSite at http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu (UCSF release, 10/11).