| HIGHLIGHTS FROM ICAAC
�97 VIRACEPT� Shows
Long-Term Power
A new study presented this week has confirmed that 80
percent of study participants receiving the protease inhibitor VIRACEPT� (nelfinavir
mesylate) plus AZT + 3TC still maintained reductions in HIV viral load more than one year
after starting therapy. This study also confirmed the excellent safety profile of
VIRACEPT.
Data showed that approximately 80 percent of subjects
responded within the first 8 weeks of initiating triple drug therapy. Six-month analysis
of viral load showed a mean drop of 2.0 log10 using the Roche Amplicor� assay
and a drop of 2.79 log10 using the ultrasensitive assay. At one year, more than
80 percent of subjects in the 750 mg VIRACEPT arm still responded to treatment.
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
compared VIRACEPT 750 mg tid + AZT + 3TC, VIRACEPT 500 mg tid + AZT + 3TC, and AZT + 3TC
alone.
The study enrolled 297 antiretroviral-na�ve subjects with
HIV RNA > 15,000 copies/ml; there were no CD4 level entry criteria. The study found
that participants who received the 750 mg tid dose of VIRACEPT benefited more than those
in the study�s other two arms. The data also demonstrate that adding VIRACEPT to an
existing antiretroviral regimen does not confer as much benefit as initiating triple
therapy.
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