WASHINGTON (AP) - In the latest effort to trim the number of pills HIV-infected patients swallow, the government on Wednesday approved Glaxo Wellcome's Trizivir - a combination of the company's older AIDS drugs AZT, 3TC and abacavir.
Glaxo already sold AZT-3TC combination under the brand name Combivir. Adding the third drug to create Trizivir means patients could swallow two pills a day instead of the four needed for Combivir plus abacavir.
However, the three drugs are from an older family of AIDS drugs called nucleoside analogs. The most recommended AIDS therapy today is a newer drug, called a protease inhibitor, plus two nucleoside analogs.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a stern warning while approving Trizivir: About 5 percent of people who try abacavir, also known as Ziagen, suffer a serious, sometimes fatal, allergic reaction - so people trying the new Trizivir run the same risk. Do not take Trizivir if you have experienced hypersensitivity symptoms - fever, skin rash, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or trouble breathing - after taking Ziagen, FDA warned. Patients will receive a symptom warning brochure, and doctors should report hypersensitivity cases by calling 1-800-270-0425.
Glaxo said Trizivir will be available next month and cost $26.60 a day, the same price as the three drugs separately.
:
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.