European Survey to Gain Insight into Treatment-Experienced Patients' Perspectives on Living with HIV

Sydney, Australia (ots/PRNewswire) -

Recent launches of new protease inhibitors and the anticipated
availability of new antiretroviral drug classes have increased the
therapeutic options available to treatment-experienced HIV-positive
patients, and made achieving an undetectable viral load a realistic
goal for this patient population. With these treatment advances, it
has become important to understand the unique needs and perspectives
of treatment-experienced individuals, a growing population.

Coinciding with the annual conference of International AIDS
Society (IAS) in Sydney, Australia, Boehringer Ingelheim announced
the launch of the HIV TALK (Treatment, Attitudes, Life, Knowledge)
survey, a project supported by the International AIDS Society, which
will gain insight into treatment-experienced individuals' attitudes
about HIV therapy and living with HIV, potential gaps in education
and information, perceptions toward treatment and ways to improve
patient-physician dialogue about HIV care.

The HIV TALK survey will be fielded to five hundred HIV-positive
individuals who have undergone treatment with multiple
antiretrovirals throughout France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the
United Kingdom. These countries have the largest populations of
HIV-positive individuals in Western Europe.

"Great strides in HIV research enable HIV-positive individuals to
live longer, healthier lives. With these treatment advances, it is
also important to understand treatment-experienced individuals'
attitudes, outlooks, and the level of patient-physician dialogue.
Through the HIV TALK survey, we hope to gain this valuable
information and increase awareness of the needs of this growing
patient population and the importance of patient-physician dialogue,"
said Juergen Rockstroh, M.D., professor of medicine, Universitat
Bonn, Germany.(i)

Results are expected in October, 2007. For more information please
visit www.ias.org/media.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a pharmaceutical company committed to the
research and development of novel antiretroviral agents and to
improving HIV therapy by providing physicians and patients with
innovative antiretrovirals. For more information, please see
www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/hiv.

About IAS

The IAS is the world's leading independent association of HIV
professionals, with over 10,000 members in 171 countries. The IAS was
founded as a non-profit organisation in connection with the IV
International AIDS Conference in Stockholm in 1988; primarily to
decide on future venues of the series of International AIDS
Conferences and to serve as a network for those working with
HIV/AIDS. For more information, please visit
http://www.ias2007.org/media

(i) UNAIDS/WHO: 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic

Web site: http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/hiv
http://www.iasociety.org/media

ots Originaltext: Boehringer Ingelheim
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Lauren Graham, +1-212-537-8129, for Boehringer Ingelheim