UNDERSTANDING ANTIVIRALS: Combination Antiviral Therapy


UNDERSTANDING ANTIVIRALS: Combination Antiviral Therapy

Being Alive; November 1992
Mark Katz, MD and reported by Jim Stoecker

The basic theory behind combination antiviral therapy is that two drugs taken at the same time may lower the incidence of side effects and slow the development of drug-resistant virus. This is because lower doses of each drug are needed to provide the efficacy of a single drug. And because a combination can be taken for a longer time before resistance or side effects, relatively long term efficacy of drug combinations may be superior to that of a single drug.

Numerous studies appear to support the belief that two drugs are indeed better than one in fighting HIV. Most researchers now agree that the question is not whether combination antivirals work, but when such therapy should begin. Should we wait until a patient has failed on single drug therapy? There is also the question of what is the best combination. So far, we have only the current generation of antivirals. Thus, we have AZT in combination with ddI or ddC. We rarely see ddI and ddC used together because these drugs have such similar side effects.


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