WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (AFP) - The US government has approved the drugs Zerit and Videx for first-line treatment of people infected with HIV, the drug's manufacturers said Wednesday.

The decision by the Food and Drug Administration gives the official stamp of approval for doctors to prescribe the drugs as part of a first-line antiretroviral combination therapy, Bristol-Myers Squibb said.

The move brings the FDA into line with common best practice, as Videx and Zerit are already widely prescribed by physicians as part of the standard HIV combination therapy regime, according to Bristol-Myers Squibb spokesman Mark Short.

The National Association of People with AIDS hailed the move, stressing the importance of simplifying prescription guidelines to ensure people with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus got the best treatment.

"The FDA must do everything possible to ensure that labeling mirrors the standard of care. This approval will make it possible for doctors, even for those who care for only a few HIV patients to provide the best care," A. Cornelius Baker, Executive Director of NAPWA, said in a statement.

"Getting the right treatment is a challenge for many patients," Baker added.

FDA labeling was critical, the association argued, in light of recent studies showing that some 25 percent of patients, especially women and minorities, were not receiving the appropriate standard of care.

Videx and Zerit, both nucleoside analogues, have been on the market since 1991 and 1994 respectively, although they had not been approved for first-line treatment.

990908
AF990921

Copyright © AFP or Agence France-Presse, 1999 - AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, that no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP photos or materials. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP stories, photos or graphics.  http://www.afp.com/