Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press - 18 Sep 1995
Hoffman-LaRoche in June announced a lottery to pick 2,280 advanced AIDS patients to get Invirase, the first of an experimental new class of AIDS drugs called protease inhibitors.
Demand for the medicine was so high that on Monday, Roche announced it will provide Invirase to an additional 2,000 patients picked through a second lottery in early November.
The company recently filed for Food and Drug Administration approval of Invirase, known chemically as saquinavir.
Early data indicate protease inhibitors lower levels of the AIDS virus, HIV, in the blood and boost the immune system, possibly with fewer side effects than existing AIDS drugs. But like those other drugs, the virus does form resistance to the medicines.
The FDA routinely allows dying patients with no other hope to use experimental drugs. But it is so hard to make Invirase that Roche didn't have enough for the thousands of AIDS patients requesting this "compassionate use," so it started a lottery to ensure fair distribution.
Patients not selected in the first lottery will automatically be re-entered in the new one. Beginning Oct. 2, patients can get information on the lottery by calling 800-332-2144. They must return lottery registration forms by Nov. 3, and those selected will get the drug in mid-November.
Copyright 1995/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
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