Intimate Health Care For Women |
HIV: New Hope On The Horizon . |
Currently approved anti-AIDS drugs (also called antiretrovirals) have achieved a significant improvement in patents' quality of life and reduction in HIV-related deaths. However, because the virus so easily mutates to become resistant to these drugs, the need for novel antiretroviral agents remains considerable. Additionally there is a need for drugs of greater potency, activity against new and existing resistant strains, and drugs with fewer adverse reactions. Because patients can be taking up to 20 pills a day (or more), there is much concern that some patients may be skipping doses, thus encouraging drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved dosing, such as a once-a-day pill. There are 10 antiretroviral drugs of the NRTI class that are currently under investigation in clinical trials. Two of the most promising ones include: * DAPD - has been shown to be active against resistant strains of virus, and has an added benefit of activity against hepatitis B virus. * FTC (Coviracil) - an improved form of the drug 3TC (Epivir) and can be taken just once per day. There are 14 antiretroviral drugs of the NNRTI class, currently under investigation. A few of the most promising agents include: * Calanolide A - a naturally derived compound extracted from a tropical rainforest tree. * DPC 083 - has excellent activity against resistant strains of virus, including virus resistant to other NNRTIs. * TMC125 also known as R165335, this promising new NNRTI may become one of the first NNRTIs effective against NNRTI-resistant virus. There are 14 antiretroviral drugs of the Protease Inhibitor class that are under investigation. A few examples currently in clinical trials include: * BMS-232632 (atazanavir ) currently in late-stage development, is less likely to cause the lipid abnormalities associated with current Pis and can be taken just once daily. * Mozenavir - belongs to a novel group of protease inhibitors called cyclic ureas . * Tipranavir since all currently approved protease inhibitors are small proteins (peptides) this non-protein compound represents a new class of protease inhibitors. A new class of inhibitors known as "Viral Entry Inhibitors" or "Fusion Inhibitors" aim to block viral attachment and entry into targeted healthy cells. There are 13 experimental drugs of this class under development (pre-trial) or being evaluated in clinical trials. HIV vaccine research and development has more than doubled within the past five years, and over 60 phase I/II trials of 30 candidate vaccines have been conducted worldwide, according to The National Institutes of Health HIV Vaccine Development Status Report, issued in May 2000. Currently, there are over 40 candidate vaccines in various stages of evaluation worldwide. From Women's Health Resource Center |
