Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
The Wall Street Journal - 24 Apr 1992
Marilyn Chase, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
The new study tackles two controversies involving the drug: first, the question of whether AZT extends the lives of people with HIV or simply reduces secondary infections; second, the question of whether longer survival among patients resulted from AZT or from a treatment to ward off lethal AIDS-related pneumonia.
In both cases, the study comes down on the side of AZT, the AIDS epidemic's first approved antiviral drug, which has long been criticized for its price. The cost of AZT, which has toxic effects on bone marrow, now stands at about $2,000 a year for a patient, down from an original level of $8,000 a year.
The new findings contradict an earlier report by doctors at the Veterans Administration hospital system, which suggested early treatment with AZT didn't lengthen lives. However, the VA study was based on just 43 deaths, too small a population to reach any firm conclusions about survival advantages, critics have said.
In contrast, the new report by Neil Graham of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health examined data from 2,568 HIV-infected volunteers enrolled in a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or Niaid. The study is reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Volunteers who started AZT treatment before they developed symptoms of AIDS had their risk of death cut 57% after six months and 33% after two years, when compared with men who waited to start treatment until they had received a diagnosis of AIDS.
Significantly, Dr. Graham and his colleagues reported that AZT led to longer life, whether or not volunteers took simultaneous drugs to prevent the often-fatal pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The scientists found that taking anti-pneumonia drugs, such as aerosol pentamidine, in addition to AZT gave patients extra protection against death from AIDS. But of the two, they said, AZT contributed the most to this protective effect.
"We now have evidence that AZT can extend life for certain HIV-infected persons if taken before the symptoms of AIDS develop," said Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIAID.
920424
WJ920404
Copyright © 1992 - The Wall Street Journal. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the WSJ Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1992. 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, 1992. 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. .