Why the old saquinavir (Invirase) may be bad for your health. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Why the old saquinavir (Invirase) may be bad for your health.

Posit Aware. 1997 Jul/Aug;8(4):28-31. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/97702774
Vazquez E; Clearinghouse, AIDS Newsletter Database, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD; 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5714. A fee will apply.

Abstract: AIDS activists argue that the original formulation of saquinavir may be damaging to people's health and urge those who are considering using saquinavir to wait until the new version of the drug is available. Saquinavir's manufacturer, Roche Laboratories, is being criticized for aggressively marketing an inferior drug. The old formulation achieves a bioavailability of about four percent; therefore, very little of the drug is actually absorbed in the body. At the time of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, doctors and researchers were aware of this low potency and noted that the dosage was potentially harmful; however, saquinavir can work well when taken with other protease inhibitors. Some physicians prescribe combinations with high unapproved) doses of saquinavir, blaming bureaucracy for the FDA approval of the low-dosage (1,800 mg/day).
Keywords: *HIV Infections/DRUG THERAPY *HIV Protease Inhibitors/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE *Saquinavir/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGEKWDhivinfections/drugtherapyKWDhivproteaseinhibitors/administration&dosageKWDsaquinavir/administration&dosage
971230
M97C1552

Copyright © 1997 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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