¿ Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., said several studies indicate that a majority of people living with HIV who received Viracept (nelfinavir mesylate) 1250 mg twice daily in antiretroviral combination therapy were shown to experience reductions in plasma HIV RNA and increases in CD4 cells. Viracept in combination with other antiretroviral agents is indicated for the treatment of HIV infection. Researchers are presenting the studies this week at the 13th International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa.

¿ Hemispherx Biopharma Inc., of Philadelphia, said it launched a new program to enhance certain HIV vaccines being developed in primate models. In animal studies, certain RNA-type drugs increased host immunity against certain viruses, including influenza and hepatitis.

¿ The Immune Response Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., said preliminary interim clinical results from an ongoing Phase II trial in Spain indicate that functionally active cytotoxic T lymphocytes - or "killer" T cells - appear to be stimulated in HIV-positive individuals treated with Remune in combination with antiviral drug therapy.

¿ The National Institutes of Health, of Bethesda, Md., said a team of American and Ugandan scientists found that the inexpensive AIDS drug nevirapine, when given to both mother and child around the time of birth, greatly reduces mother-to-infant transmission of HIV up to a year after the medicine was given.

¿ Virco, of Baltimore, said two studies using its HIV drug resistance monitoring systems have revealed the development of high levels of resistance in African countries pioneering the use of antiretrovirals on the continent. The study conducted in Uganda showed that 78 percent of patients taking 3TC had virus that was resistant to the drug. In Cote d'Ivoire, 57 percent had evidence of resistance to one or more drugs.