Anticipated Approval of Latest HIV Drug Will Give Treatment-Experienced Patients the Best Chance Yet to Achieve Undetectable Viral Load
Basel, Switzerland (ots/PRNewswire)
- Newest HIV Drug Works Better in Combination With FUZEON(R)
The emergence of new HIV treatments, such as boosted protease inhibitors (PI), has led to a change in treatment goals for people living with drug-resistant HIV. Up until recently, it has been reluctantly considered acceptable for treatment-experienced patients to continue to have a detectable viral load (more than 50 copies of viral RNA per ml of blood) so long as their immune system can be preserved. The consequences of remaining detectable are that patients are likely to accumulate drug resistance, with a consequent loss of future antiretroviral treatment options, and ultimately leading to a decrease in immune function and clinical disease progression. However, guidelines issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommend establishing maximal viral suppression in this patient population and support the use of FUZEON with an active boosted PI to achieve this objective.
The anticipated upcoming US approval of Tibotec's boosted PI darunavir (TMC114/r) is good news for treatment-experienced patients facing drug resistance. It means that they will soon be able to benefit from potentially two active agents which, when used together, can substantially increase their chances of reaching undetectable viral load.
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For more information, please contact: Alexander Watson, Ketchum,
Office: +44-207-611-3663, E-Mail: alexander.watson@ketchum.com