Newly updated
treatment guidelines issued by the Department of Health and
Human Services support the use of the fusion inhibitor
Fuzeon with an active boosted protease inhibitor in
patients with three-class virologic failure, as this
treatment approach results in better and more prolonged
virologic suppression than other regimens. The evidence
cited in the treatment guidelines update includes
several recent clinical trials of new boosted protease
inhibitors in treatment-experienced patients, which
demonstrated a better and more prolonged virologic response
when used in conjunction with Fuzeon.
The guidelines,
titled "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral
Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents," provide
clinicians and other health care providers direction
for using antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV-positive
adults and adolescents. Fuzeon, the only fusion
inhibitor available for the treatment of HIV, was
codeveloped by Roche and Trimeris. (Advocate.com)