Combination, order of anti-HIV drugs make a difference in first-time ...( How anti-HIV drugs are combined and the...),Health

How anti-HIV drugs are combined and the order in which they are given are important factors to consider when designing treatment strategies for patients new to antiretroviral therapy, says a new study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health. When HIV-infected individuals begin treatment with a combination of the drugs zidovudine, better known as AZT, lamivudine and efavirenz, the drugs retain their effectiveness for a longer period of time than when individuals begin treatment with one of several other three-drug regimens.

The study, which involved researchers and participants from the United States and Italy, was one of the largest and most complex of its kind to help in determining the optimal drug treatment strategy for first-time recipients of antiretroviral drugs. The findings are reported in two papers published in the Dec. 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, and have been incorporated into the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HIV/AIDS Treatment Guidelines.

"These findings offer new insight into the most effective approach for treating previously untreated HIV-infected individuals," said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the NIAID. "Through well-conceived, collaborative clinical studies such as this one, researchers are learning how to use the many anti-HIV drugs now on the market to provide the maximum benefit for the longest period of time."

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) employs combinations of anti-HIV drugs to help suppress the virus in people with HIV/AIDS. The goal of HAART is to combine three or more drugs from one or more different classes of anti-HIV drugs to suppress HIV replication and prevent progression to AIDS and death. Two key classes include those that prevent the virus from copying itself, called reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors, and those that prevent the virus from becoming infectious, called
'"/>

Contact: Jennifer Wenger
jwenger@niaid.nih.gov
301-402-1663
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
10-Dec-2003

Page: 1 2 3 4 5
Related medicine news :

1. Study finds factors linked to substance use disorder relapse among health care professionals
2. New self-help technology set to combat eating disorders
3. Diagnostic test for range of blood disorders on the horizon
4. Men with severe sleep breathing disorder have higher risk of heart problems
5. Dental practitioners can be instrumental in preventing their patients eating disorders
6. Growth hormone treatment improves symptoms of metabolic disorder in postmenopausal women
7. Computerized order entry systems can increase risk of medication errors
8. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication is effective in the treatment of panic disorder
9. Treatment guidelines for kids with bipolar disorder published
10. Latest findings on genetic blood disorder Cooleys Anemia
11. Psychiatric disorders greatly underdiagnosed in hospital emergency departments