A study of 569 patients indicates that Boehringer Ingelheim’s drug Viramune suppressed HIV as well as Bristol Myers Squibb’s drug Reyataz but had a more favorable effect on cardiovascular risks.
The results were presented over the weekend at the 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa.
To amplify their effects, both drugs were taken with Gilead Sciences’ combination treatment Truvada. Reyataz was also combined with Norvir, made by Abbott Laboratories.
Study patients treated with Viramune had more than twice the level of HDL, or “good cholesterol,” as those treated with Reyataz, Boehringer said. The company added that the ratio of total cholesterol over HDL cholesterol, a measure that indicates elevated cardiovascular risks, was more favorable in the patients treated with Viramune.
The European Commission has already approved an update of Viramune’s product description to note its effect on blood lipids, Boehringer said.
Source
http://www.reuters.com
Date of Publication
07/20/2009
Author
Ludwig Burger
Article Type
General media
Article Category
Medical News
Subjects
Adverse Reactions Antiretroviral Drugs HIV/AIDS Treatment or Therapies Studies or Surveys Therapeutic Drugs
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