AIDS Treatment Update

NNRTI
Pi
NRTI
MR&MM

Changing anti-HIV therapy in
English HIV clinics 1998-1999:
What did people start with?
In 1998 and 1999, of 759 people who
started first-line anti-HIV therapy, 50%
started on one NN RTI and two N RTIs; 25%
started on one PI and two N RTIs; and 4%
started on three N RTIs or more drugs. The
remainder began on two N RTIs.
Beck EJ. 5' International Congress on Drug Therapy in H IV
Infection, abstract P68A, 2000.

starting with NRTIs

Though other three N RTI regimens have been
studied,the charge in this drug class has been
led by the arrival of abacavir. Aside from its
potency relative to other N RTIs, the other
attraction of an abacavir-containing three
drug N RTI regimen is that G laxo Wellcome
have co-formulated one regimen (abacavir/
AZT/3TC) into one pill. This pill is called
Trizivir, and is expected to be launched in the
European Union in the near future.

Historically, abacavir/Comb/vir has been found
comparable to indinavir/Combivir in the CNA
3005 study, though abacavir was found to
perform less well in people who began
treatment with high viral load (above 100,000
copies). This question around relative potency
has hung over triple N RTI regimens, and they
are not presently recommended for use in
British treatment guidelines. This advice is to
be reviewed over the coming months however,