A study published last week in AIDS Patient Care and STDs found that Trizivir (zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir) may help people with HIV simplify their long-term maintenance antiretroviral therapy (ART) routine, decreasing harmful side effects and making the drug regimen easier to follow.

However, the study authors caution that their results, which include only 48 weeks of trial data, are still preliminary. Longer follow-up periods will be necessary to ensure the regimen will be safe and effective long-term.

Currently, the standard treatment regimen for HIV includes at least three antiretroviral medications from two…

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved revisions to the package insert for Sustiva (efavirenz) capsules and tablets to include new information on potential birth defects, liver toxicity, and drug interactions.

Sustiva, which is an antiretroviral drug made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is approved by the FDA for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents in HIV-positive adults and children older than three years of age.

Sustiva is classified as a Pregnancy Category D drug, indicating there is evidence it can cause birth defects.

The new label has…

A recent study finds Viread (tenofovir) and Emtriva (emtricitabine) are more effective nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) than Ziagen (abacavir) and Epivir (lamivudine) as an initial combination therapy for HIV. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A typical initial antiretroviral therapy regimen for HIV-positive patients who have not received therapy consists of two types of drugs: two NRTIs together with either a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) or a protease inhibitor. Until now, it was unclear which two NRTIs are the most effective and safe.…

The use of antiretroviral medications has greatly increased the longevity of patients with HIV. However, liver failure, heart disease and neurological changes can often result from its use.

Patients taking protease inhibitors or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are at a higher risk of body fat redistribution and heart disease, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Body fat redistribution was evident in 20 to 35 percent of patients after one to two years on antiretroviral medication. Typically, fat accumulates in the mid-section or fat is…

Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (RTIs) are a class of antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV infection, tumors, and cancer.

HIV is a retrovirus because it contains genetic information in the form of RNA. When HIV infects a human cell, it uses an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to convert the single stranded viral RNA to double stranded viral DNA. The viral DNA is then integrated into the host cell’s DNA and is able to go through cellular processes, such as transcription and translation, which allow it to replicate. RTIs are used to…