Single drug will aid HIV treatment

Research has led to the new drug combination

A new HIV treatment is set to make life easier for patients by allowing them to take fewer tablets.

Pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline has got the go-ahead to market its HIV treatment Trizivir in European Union countries.

It will mean patients who previously had to take three separate tablets will now only have to take one tablet twice a day.

HIV campaigners said the new drug would be easier to cope with than a combination of drugs, many of which have to be taken at strict intervals, and strict conditions such as an empty stomach.

But they warned it would not be suitable for all HIV patients.

Trizivir combines three existing anti-HIV therapies - abacavir sulphate, lamivudine and zidovudine.

Simplified treatment

GlaxoSmithKline said the simplification of the dosage would help take the right dose of drug at the right time.

The clearance to market the drug from the European Commission follows other countries, including America, Mexico and Switzerland granting approval for the drug last month.

Anything that takes HIV treatment a step forward is welcome

Terrence Higgins Trust

Trizivir will now be available in 15 European countries.

GlaxoSmithKline is a UK-based company, formed by the merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham inDecember.

Glaxo Wellcome had been involved in the development of Trizivir for at least five years.

A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline said: "This is good news for patients with HIV.

"The new combination of therapies offers a new option in the treatment of Aids and HIV."

More convenient

A spokesman for the Terrence Higgins Trust said the new drug would offer an extra treatment option.

He added: "Anything that takes HIV treatment a step forward is welcome."

But he said the new drug would not be the most suitable for someone with a large amount of viruses in their bloodstream, which means they are more likley to develop full-blown AIDS.

They may need to be given the drugs seperately so doctors can vary the amounts of each that are given.

The cost of the new drug could also be a concern.

But the Terrence Higgins Trust said reducing the frequency that patients had to take medication was welcome.

The spokesman said: "If a drug says 'take three times a day', that means every eight hours, regardless of what you're doing.

"That can be a disincentive, and it can be a problem if you've not declared your HIV status to your employer."