news headlines

email to a friend

printer friendly

sign up to newsletter

Study Looks At Efficacy, Cardiovascular Risks Of Two HIV Treatments

Patients taking Boehringer Ingelheim's HIV drug Viramune have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those taking Bristol-Myers Squibb's treatment, Reyataz, according to a study released on Monday at the 5th International AIDS Society conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Reuters reports. "The drug trial, involving 569 participants, yielded that Viramune, while being as effective at suppressing HIV as Bristol Myers' blockbuster Reyataz, had a more favourable effect on patients' cardiovascular risks, as measured by certain blood lipids," the article states. The study found that "Viramune-treated patients … had more than twice the level of HDL cholesterol, known as 'good cholesterol' for its benefitial effect on blood vessels, than those on Reyataz, Boehringer said in a statement," Reuters reports. The article adds that advances in antiretroviral drugs have helped make HIV a "treatable chronic condition," and "as a result, patients are growing older, bringing other symptoms of an HIV infection, such as cardiovascular diseases, to the fore" (Burger, Reuters, 7/20).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Medical News Today publishes the latest health news and health videos for consumers and health professionals. It has a searchable archive of over 100,000 health news articles.