HIV AIDS News [International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1998: Geneva, Switzerland)]

Researchers take interest in treatments that might block the action of
HIV protease, and thereby render the enzyme incapable of
processing the polyproteins required for production of mature HIV.
1995: In June, saquinavir becomes the first protease inhibitor to become
available for use in the U.S. outside a clinical trial. In November, this
is followed by approval of lamivudine (3TC) and zidovudine (AZT)
in combination. As the year draws to a close, saquinavir receives
approval for use in combination with nucleoside analogues.
Greater understanding of the way HIV operates in the body means
that doctors are increasingly focusing on treatment of HIV as soon as
possible after infection, rather than waiting until CD4 counts decline.
Treating early would help prevent the virus from exhausting the
body's immune system, which scientists had shown would fight for
years, if not decades, before succumbing to the assault of HIV.
1996: March is a busy month for drug regulators in the U.S. CRIXIVANTM*
(indinavir) receives approval for use in patients with HIV or AIDS,
either alone or in combination with nucleoside analogues, in record
time of 42 days from submission of data to the FDA until approval
was given.
In the same month, ritonavir receives approval for use alone or in
combination with nucleoside analogues.
Viral load testing systems, which analyse the 'load' or quantity of
HIV-1 RNA in blood plasma, become the main method by which the
success or failure of treatment is measured, largely replacing
increases in CD4 cell counts. The benchmark of success becomes
*CRIXIVANTM is a trademark of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA