Posts
Children living with HIV in
sub-Saharan Africa can be treated with one of two antiretroviral drugs
nevirapine or efavirenz. Most countries use nevirapine because it is less
expensive and a pediatric formula is more readily available.
Researchers in the United States and
Botswana compared the effectiveness of both drugs and found initial treatment
with efavirenz had better results. Elizabeth Lowenthal of the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of the study noted that prices for
bulk drug purchases are lower after negotiations between health officials and
pharmaceutical companies.
Robert Gross, the study’s senior
author and a University of Pennsylvania professor, stated that more could be
done to make the drug financially viable for treating children in
resource-limited settings.
The full report, “Association
Between Efavirenz-Based Compared With Nevirapine-Based Antiretroviral Regimens
and Virological Failure in HIV-Infected Children,” was published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association (2013; 309(17):1803–1809).
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
