AEGiS-WSJ: Computer Model Reveals HIV Mutations That Affect Bristol-Myers's Stavudine

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Computer Model Reveals HIV Mutations That Affect Bristol-Myers's Stavudine

Wall Street Journal - October 26, 2000
Meera Louis, Staff Reporter

Scientists said they have used a computer model to identify patterns of mutations in the genetic code of the HIV virus that make it resistant to the AIDS drug stavudine, a finding that could help doctors better tailor drug treatments for infected patients.

The finding will be presented today by Virco, a closely held Belgian genomics company, at the fifth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection in Scotland. Stavudine, manufactured under the trademark Zerit by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., New York, inhibits the replication of the HIV virus in order to slow the progression of AIDS.

Scientists say that this finding is of particular significance because the resistance profile for Zerit has been difficult to pin down.

"It's been known for a long time that the virus can mutate and can be resistant to the drug, but the actual mechanism has been a puzzle because there are lots of different ways it can mutate," said Brendan Larder, chief scientific officer and head of this study at Virco.

"This model confirms that you need multiple mutations to get resistance to this drug," says Teun Grooters, director for antivirals clinical research for Bristol-Myers.

"Once the model is fully mature it will give patients and doctors more confidence in determining the best treatment to have the best long-term effect."

The computer model, called the neural network, required thousands of pieces of information from patient samples to learn the connections between the complicated genetic patterns found in viruses and the actual level of resistance to stavudine. Scientists then incorporated the information into another computer system that has the ability to predict the resistance.

The biggest advantage of the virtual drug-resistance test is that it is faster and less costly than laboratory tests, according to Dr. Larder. Virco, which has four branches around the world, has been in business since 1995.

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