HIV TREATMENT GUIDELINES NOW INCLUDE THREE GSK DRUGS

Updated treatment guidelines issued by the International AIDS Society-USA include three GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) medications as part of the society's recommendations for initial antiretroviral therapy. These guidelines were presented at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

In the guidelines, Epzicom (abacavir sulfate and lamivudine) and Combivir (lamivudine and zidovudine) nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are recommended, and Lexiva (fosamprenavir calcium) boosted with ritonavir is listed among the recommended options for protease inhibitor-based regimens in the initial treatment of adults with HIV infection.

The society commissions expert panels to provide guidelines for standard approaches to HIV/AIDS patient care. The updated guidelines, published in the current issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, stated, "The choice of initial drug centers on acceptability; predicted tolerance; pill burden; comorbid conditions; short-term, midterm and long-term adverse event profiles."