Celgene drug can drive HIV out of hiding: study

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – An anti-cancer drug made by the U.S. biotech firm Celgene can re-activate hidden HIV in patients so that it can be detected, bringing researchers closer to being able to treat it, Danish scientists said on Tuesday. “There is still a long way to go and many obstacles to overcome before we can start talking about a cure against HIV,” said Ole Schmeltz Sogaard, who led the research team from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, in a statement. The drug, known generically as romidepsin and under the brand name Istodax, is licensed to treat a type of cancer called T-cell lymphoma. In this study, however, it was investigated as a potential HIV therapy.