In the field of HIV drug treatment, any successful attempt to simplify the drug regimens of patients taking combination therapy is a welcome event. One such simplification came in the form of Combivir, a single pill combining AZT and 3TC, which was approved in Canada in December 1998. The same companies that brought us Combivir, namely Glaxo Wellcome and BioChem Pharma, are now seeking approval for Trizivir, a product that combines the following drugs in one tablet:
Each of these products belongs to the class of drugs called nucleoside analogues (nukes).
Convenience is one advantage this product offers. If doctors choose to prescribe Trizivir, patients will simply have to take one pill twice daily, with or without food. It's possible that a triple-nuke combination may also allow patients to reserve drugs such as protease inhibitors for future use, especially in the event that Trizivir stops working.
Trizivir may, however, present disadvantages. For example, according to the journal SCRIP, some doctors are concerned that Trizivir may not be strong enough to suppress production of HIV in people with relatively high viral loads. The product may therefore not be suitable on its own for every patient. As well, patients taking Trizivir may risk having a hypersensitivity reaction to the product because of its abacavir content. Three to five per cent of abacavir users have had this reaction, with symptoms such as nausea, rash, fever and fatigue. When a hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir occurs, treatment must be stopped immediately.
Glaxo Wellcome submitted its data on Trizivir in December 1999 when it sought approval in Canada, the European Union and the United States.
1. Anonymous. SCRIP 1999;2500(01):18.
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