HIV/AIDS Medication Could Come From A Patch

HIV and AIDS medication may soon be delivered via a patch, though testing is still preliminary, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health announced at a conference Tuesday.

"The huge potential advantage of a patch, depending on how long it secretes the right level of drug, is the ability to maintain the right level of the drug without the fluctuations observed when adherence to pills is less than perfect," Rowena Johnston, director of research for the Foundation for AIDS Research, told HealthDay.

Researchers led by Anthony Ham, director of formulations at ImQuest BioSciences, used transdermal patches to transmit 96 percent of an experimental AIDS drug over the course of a week to simulated skin. The next stage, he said, is to test the patch on animals.

"These patches require a low cost to manufacture, have a high rate of release and are able to inhibit HIV infection," Ham said.

Already, 70 percent of newly treated HIV patients in the U.S. take just one pill a day, according to Johnston. She told HealthDay the patch could also be used to convey medication that prevents people from getting HIV.

"We are encouraged by these results, and we're ready to go to the next stage of developments," said Ham. He presented the findings Tuesday at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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