Peter W. PENG, Author at MediaMedic

Dr. Heather-Marie Schmidt: WHO Long-Acting PrEP Guidelines and Priority Actions to End HIV Epidemic in Asia

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

Dr. Schmidt serves as the Regional Advisor on HIV Testing, Prevention, and Key Populations for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Asia-Pacific Regional Office and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global HIV, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Program. She is dedicated to developing global guidelines for PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) and providing technical assistance to countries, organizations, and communities in the Asia-Pacific region to support the implementation and promotion of PrEP.

Dr. Dong Hsu: Meeting More Patient Needs in HIV Health Management

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

Implementation Science is a relatively new and increasingly recognized field of research. Its purpose is to translate the possibilities outlined in theory into practical applications in the real world, addressing the challenges of implementing validated intervention measures. At the 2023 APACC conference, Dr. Dong Hsu, from the School of Public Health Management and the Global Health Research Center, Southern Medical University, China, delivered an insightful presentation titled "Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines". In our interview, Dr. Dong Hsu further elaborated on the definition and research value of Implementation Science and shared his team's research findings in areas such as HIV screening and health management.

Dr. Steven Grinspoon: Statin Drugs Can Be Used for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases in HIV-Infected Individuals

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

Chief of Metabolic Services at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Director of Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard University, and Honorary Chair of Endocrinology and Metabolism at MGH. Dr. Grinspoon led the large-scale, multi-center REPRIEVE study, which is the world's first research on primary prevention strategies for cardiovascular diseases in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Dr. Weiming Tang: Exploring Crowdsourced Partner Notification Services for High-Risk HIV Populations

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

In China, the transmission of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) primarily occurs through sexual transmission. [1] Partner notification services help those who are HIV-positive inform their sexual partners of their infection status and guide these partners to undergo HIV testing. [2] Thus, it is crucial for identifying newly infected individuals and preventing further HIV transmission. [3] Currently, the partner notification rate among key populations in China (e.g., men who have sex with men) is low. [4] To increase the acceptance of partner notification services (HIV PS) among men who have sex with men living with HIV (MLWH), the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University collaborated with the China Program Office of the University of North Carolina to establish the Saith Project. This initiative aims to develop a crowdsourced intervention scheme through a series of crowdsourcing competitions in partnership with community organizations.

IAS 2023 | Thymosin α1 Therapy for HIV Immunological Non-responders: A Single-arm Clinical Study

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

As HIV treatment enters the post-ART era, drug side effects and complications have become significant factors affecting the quality of life for patients. Approximately 20% of patients, after 1-2 years of treatment, have viral loads below the detectable limit, but their CD4 cell count remains below normal levels, leading to poorer clinical outcomes.

IAS 2023 | Joining Hands to Eliminate AIDS Epidemic by 2030

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

On July 23, 2023, the 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) HIV Science Conference, referred to as IAS 2023, officially began in Brisbane, Australia. As one of the largest open academic conferences in the global HIV and AIDS field, the event attracted participation from experts, medical professionals, community groups, and medical enterprises worldwide. The conference emphasized the importance of science as the foundation of policy and practice, highlighting the close integration of science, policy, and activism to promote significant advancements in the HIV and AIDS sector. The theme of the conference is "End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics.", reflecting IAS's ultimate vision. The goal is to rally health experts globally towards the shared ambition of eradicating AIDS by 2030.

IAS 2023 | WHO Guidelines Update: The Risk of HIV Sexual Transmission with Low Viral Load is Nearly Zero

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

The 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2023) began on July 23, 2023, in Brisbane, Australia. At the conference, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced important updates to the HIV guidelines, emphasizing the importance of "HIV viral suppression for improved individual health and reduced transmission." On the eve of the conference, The Lancet published a systematic review showing that the risk of HIV transmission with low-level viral load is almost zero.

IAS 2023 | RESPOND Study: INSTIs Might Indeed be “A Bit Sweet”

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are associated with weight gain, but this weight gain doesn't harm survival or increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. So, does the weight gain associated with INSTIs lead to a higher risk of diabetes? At the recent 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) HIV Science Conference (IAS 2023), the renowned RESPOND cohort study from Europe and America indicated that INSTIs might increase the risk of diabetes onset. Even after adjustment, the onset risk remains statistically significant.

IAS 2023 | Short-course tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment does not affect the virologic efficacy of INSTIs in treating HIV

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

People Living With HIV (PLWH) are at high risk of active tuberculosis (TB). Guidelines both domestically and internationally suggest that PLWH with positive latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and those with a history of close contact with active TB should receive TB preventive treatment. However, commonly used preventive treatment regimens such as rifampin and rifapentine have potential drug interactions with HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART). A multi-center retrospective study from Taiwan, China, presented at the 12th International AIDS Society HIV Science Conference (IAS 2023) showed that ART based on integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) combined with rifapentine-based short-course TB preventive treatment does not affect the patient's sustained HIV virologic suppression rate.

IAS 2023 | South African study indicates that HIV male patients have a greater likelihood of achieving virological remission than females.

By Peter W. PENG 2023.10.22

In the recent 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) HIV Science Conference (IAS 2023), a research study from South Africa found that, despite seldom adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART), 5 male children who were born with HIV still maintained undetectable viral loads. Researchers believe that due to innate immunological gender differences, boys might have a better chance of achieving sustained virological remission than girls.