AEGiS-GMHC: TREATMENT BRIEFS: Clarithromycin & Azithromycin Approved Gay Men's Health CrisisImportant note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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TREATMENT BRIEFS: Clarithromycin & Azithromycin Approved

Gay Men's Health Crisis Treatment Issues, Vol. 5, No. 9, December 1991

Two antibiotics, clarithromycin and azithromycin, which ore promising prospects for the treatment of HIV-related MAC and toxoplasmosis, have at last been FDA-approved. Azithromycin (brand name Zithromax) made by Pfizer, is now licensed as treatment for certain respiratory and skin infections and for chlamydia. Clarithromycin (brand name Biaxin), made by Abbott Labs, is approved for upper and lower respiratory infections as well as uncomplicated skin infections.

The good news is that the drugs will became more available for use in HIV-infection. The bad news is that they are expensive and when used for non-licensed conditions such as HIV- related MAC or toxo, ("off-label use") the cost of the drugs may not be reimbursed by third-party insurance or Medicaid/Medicare.

Copyright (c) 1991 - Gay Men's Health Crisis. Non-commercial reproduction encouraged.


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Copyright © 1991 - Treatment Issues. Reproduced with permission. Treatment Issues is published twelve times yearly by GMHC, Inc. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reproduction is encouraged. Subscription lists are kept confidential. GMHC Treatment Issues, The Tisch Building, 119 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011  fredg@gmhc.org  http://www.gmhc.org

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