Paul Dalton

Data on the experimental NRTI, apricitabine, were presented August 5 at the International AIDS Conference, showing it is well tolerated when taken by people with experience taking HIV drugs. The results add to earlier research which showed that it might prove to be a good treatment option for people whose HIV has grown resistant to the NRTIs Epivir (lamivudine/3TC) and Emtriva (emtricitabine/FTC).

Dr. Cox, of Avexa (the company developing apricitabine), presented data comparing 2 doses, (600 and 800mg) taken twice daily to 150 mg of Epivir, in people failing an HIV regimen with Epivir.

After 24 weeks, no serious adverse events or deaths occurred in people taking apricitabine. Most were mild or moderate and were GI-related, including diarrhea and nausea. The overall rates of adverse events were similar between people taking apricitabine and Epivir. This is good news for Avexa as Epivir is widely considered one of the best tolerated HIV drugs.

While these safety data are encouraging, the bigger question facing apricitabine is how potent it is. Earlier presentations on this study suggested relatively good short-term anti-HIV activity, but longer-term data failed to show a statistically significant difference between people on apricitabine vs. those who continued on Epivir. At the 2008 CROI, people from Avexa claimed this might be due to the high potency of the optimized background therapy used by both groups in the study. While this might be true, Avexa still must prove that apricitabine is both potent and well tolerated.

080901
PI080908

©2008. This document is copyrighted by Project Inform, 205 13th Street, #2001, San Francisco, CA 94103. Treatment Hotline: 800-822-7422 (toll-free) or 415-558-9051 (in the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally) All Project Inform materials September be reprinted and/or distributed without prior permission. However, reprints September not be edited and must include the following text: "From Project Inform, for more information contact the Project Inform National HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline, 800-822-7422." For permission to edit any Project Inform material for further publication, contact David Evans at the Project Inform office.

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, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Gill Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Quest Diagnostics, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you.

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 ©1985, 2008. 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.