Lopinavir/ritonavir is the first fixed-dose combination of protease inhibitors approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV infection. It is being marketed for use with other drugs in adults and children more than six months old. Lopinavir is a new drug available only in this combination. Ritonavir is often used with other protease inhibitors to raise their plasma concentrations.

Atazanavir (Reyataz - Bristol-Myers Squibb), a new protease inhibitor (PI), and emtricitabine (Emtriva - Gilead), a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) chemically similar to lamivudine, have been approved by the FDA for treatment of HIV-1 infection. Both are taken once daily, unlike most anti-HIV drugs.

Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for all HIV-infected patients, both to reduce the risk of disease progression and to prevent transmission of the virus to others. Various guidelines for treatment of HIV infection are available.

Combination antiretroviral therapy including protease inhibitors has dramatically changed the treatment of HIV infection and the prognosis of those affected (Medical Letter Handbook of Antimicrobial Therapy, 1998, page 122). Due to limitations and failures with these drugs in many patients, however, three new drugs, none of them protease inhibitors, have rapidly come into wide use in clinical trials or 'expanded access' programs. They are abacavir (Ziagen - Glaxo Wellcome), adefovir (Preveon - Gilead) and efavirenz (Sustiva - DuPont). Efavirenz was recently approved for treatment of...

Amprenavir is the fifth protease inhibitor to become available for treatment of HIV infection. It was approved by the FDA for use with other drugs in the treatment of HIV-infected adults and children at least four years old.

Atripla (Gilead/Bristol-Myers Squibb) is the first once daily, single-tablet combination of 3 antiretroviral drugs for treatment of HIV infection. Each tablet contains 600 mg of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz (Sustiva), 200 mg of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) emtricitabine (Emtriva), and 300 mg of the nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) tenofovir DF (Viread). These drugs have been recommended for use together, if resistance testing confirms susceptibility, as an initial regimen of choice for treatment-na∩ve...

The FDA has approved three new once-daily fixed-dose antiretroviral drug combinations for treatment of HIV-1 infection. Symfi and Symfi Lo (Mylan) contain the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz and the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and were approved as complete antiretroviral regimens. Symfi Lo contains a lower dose of efavirenz than both Symfi and Atripla, a fixed-dose combination of efavirenz, TDF, and the NRTI emtricitabine that was approved in 2006. Cimduo (Mylan), which...

The FDA has approved cladribine (Mavenclad – EMD Serono), a purine antimetabolite, for oral treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), who cannot tolerate or have had an inadequate response to other drugs indicated for treatment of MS. It is not recommended for use in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). IV cladribine, which is FDA-approved for treatment of hairy cell leukemia, has been used off-label for treatment of MS.