Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - October 25, 2002
Merck & Co said a new 600mg version of the drug, known generically as efavirenz, would be introduced to expand access to HIV treatment in the developing world.
"The price of the once-a-day formulation is 30% below the 200mg version the company had previously produced, which had to be taken three times daily," the company said.
Seventeen countries have already approved the new tablet and additional approvals are expected this year and next, the company said.
A risk factor: New research shows that the use of methamphetamine is a relatively important risk factor for HIV among men who have sex with men.
The research says "illegal stimulants have become such a common part of the party circuit and gay club life that some treatment centres have seen a 1 000% increase in people presenting for treatment for methamphetamine abuse.
"With methamphetamine, people become uninhibited, and then it becomes an issue of sexual transmission," said Michael Gorman, chief investigator of numerous methamphetamine and HIV studies in the US. "They forget; they don't put on a condom right or don't use a condom if they forget to bring one," he said.
021025
MG021014
Copyright © 2002 - Daily Mail & Guardian. For information about the content or for permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast, contact the publisher.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .