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news.Researchers have said that a new protease-inhibitor drug to treat HIV combined with another treatment has the potential to significantly improve survival rates in people living with the disease.
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The study examined the effects of the Tibotec’s protease-inhibitor Prezista (darunavir), when combined with a low dose of the current antiretroviral ritonavir.
The researchers checked for levels of HIV in the blood of patients. The results showed that 61% of those taking darunavir had a 10 times lower amount of HIV in the blood, compared with just 15% of those in the control group. Furthermore, 45% of those taking the combination of darunavir-ritonavir reduced their HIV concentrations to below 50 copies per ml of blood – the lowest recordable value.
The number of key CD4 immune system cells in patients taking the new drug combination also increased in those taking the new drug.
The authors concluded that in order to fully uncover the effectiveness of the drug another comparison study, evaluating darunavir against another promising protease inhibitor known as tripranavir, which is being developed by Pharmacia & Upjohn, will be needed.