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The US Food and Drug Administration
recently approved a new drug called dolutegravir (brand name Tivicay by
GlaxoSmithKline) for the treatment of HIV.
Tivicay is an integrase strand
transfer inhibitor, which blocks an enzyme that the virus needs to reproduce
itself.
The drug is in the form of a
once-daily pill taken in combination with other antiretrovirals. The drug was
approved for use by treatment-naïve adults, adults already using antiretroviral
drugs (ART), and youth 12 years and over weighing at least 40 kilograms (88.2
lbs.) who have or have not received ART, but who have never taken an integrase
strand transfer inhibitor.
The drug was tested for safety and
efficacy on 2,539 participants, and results show that Tivicay, when used with
other ARTs, was effective in reducing viral loads.
Side effects included insomnia and
headache hypersensitivity reactions, and abnormal liver function in individuals
coinfected with hepatitis C and B.
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!
