  |
|
|
Published in the Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS July 1998 issue, by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. |
Treatments Available for HIV Positive ChildrenBy Mark Bowers, Managing Editor Pharmaceutical research targeting effective treatments for HIV positive children has lagged behind similar research for adults throughout the entire epidemic. While the value of combination antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV disease in adolescents more than 13 years old and adults was firmly established 2 years ago, it is only this year that the results of a Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group study (ACTG 338) validated the use of protease inhibitor drugs in children. The study results showed that combination therapy that included a protease inhibitor reduced levels of HIV circulating in the blood significantly more than combination therapy without a protease inhibitor. ACTG study 338 randomly assigned 298 children between the ages of 2 years and 17 years old to 3 study groups. One group received AZT (Retrovir) plus 3TC (Epivir); another group received ritonavir (Norvir) plus d4T (Zerit); the third group received AZT plus 3TC plus ritonavir. Researchers measured blood levels of HIV using HIV RNA tests. HIV RNA levels were below the test’s limit of detection (400 copies/mL) for 61% of the children who took ritonavir plus D4T and for 57% of those who took ritonavir plus AZT plus 3TC. Only 14% of the children who received only AZT plus 3TC reached undetectable HIV viral load levels. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the protease inhibitors nelfinavir (Viracept) and ritonavir for use in treating children with HIV disease. Page last updated 9 July 1998 |
|
|
