New Drug Approved for Treating HIV
New Drug Approved for Treating HIV Although advances in treatment have enabled people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) to live longer, healthier lives, more than 50,000 new infections are diagnosed each year, according to
New Drug Approved for Treating HIV
Although advances in treatment have enabled people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) to live longer, healthier lives, more than 50,000 new infections are diagnosed each year, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now another drug has been added to the armamentarium, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tivicay (GlaxoSmithKline) for treatment of HIV-1 infection. The pill, which is taken once daily, has been cleared for use in conjunction with other retroviral medications.
Tivicay, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, impairs a key enzyme responsible for the multiplication of HIV. The FDA has approved the drug for treatment of all HIV-infected adults, as well as children age 12 and older (weighing at least 88 pounds) who have not previously been treated with other integrase strand transfer inhibitors.
The FDA granted approval after results of four clinical trials showed that Tivicay was effective in reducing viral loads among individuals with HIV. A fifth clinical trial helped to determine suggested use and dosage in adolescents. Potential side effects include insomnia, headaches, hypersensitivity reactions, and, among patients also infected with hepatitis B or C, abnormal liver function.
Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter
September 2013
