Researchers Identify a Simple Inexpensive Drug Regimen which is Highly Effective in Preventing HIV in Infants of Mothers with the Disease

JUL-13-1999 13: 10 OD/NIAID/NIH 3014964409 P.04/04
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In the United States and other industrialized countries, many HIV-infected pregnant
women already take combination drug regimens that include AZT. A study now being
conducted in the United States and Europe is evaluating if adding nevirapine to standard
treatment regimens will have any extra benefit In preventing perinatal HIV transmission in these
countries. For pregnant women who do not know their HIV status until they begin labor, the
nevirapine regimen provides a last-minute prevention option.
Nevirapine, made by Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, is a non-nucleoside
reverse transcriptase inhibitor, and is in a different class of antiviral drugs than AZT but works
against the same HIV target enzyme that Is critical for the virus to infect new cells. It can be
easily stored at room temperature. Besides being inexpensive and potent, nevirapine is rapidly
absorbed and transferred across the placenta to the infant, and it breaks down slowly. For
these reasons, it was thought that even a single dose to the mother and infant might provide
enough protection to the baby during the time of exposure to HIV at birth. In March 1996,
nevirapine was licensed in the United States for treatment of HIV infection in adults. AZT,
made by Glaxo Wellcome, was first approved in the United States to treat AIDS in 1987. In
August 1994, AZT received an additional indication for use in preventing perinatal HIV
transmission.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID conducts and
supports research to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as HIV disease and other
sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, asthma and allergies. NIH is an agency of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Press releases, fact sheets and other materials are available on the MIAID Web site at
wwwniaid.nih.gov.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
is a component of the National Instituts ofHeahh,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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