Ritonavir News and Research

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Ritonavir, also known as Norvir, is a type of medicine called a protease inhibitor (PI). PIs act by blocking protease, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself. Ritonavir was approved by the FDA on March 1, 1996, for use with other antiretroviral agents in the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children 2 years of age or older. Ritonavir is now approved with other anti-HIV drugs in the treatment of HIV-1 infection in children in individuals over 1 month in age. Studies have shown that ritonavir works as a booster for some other PIs. Taking ritonavir makes it possible to take a lower dose of the other PIs. This medicine does not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS and does not reduce the risk of passing the virus to other people.

Bristol-Myers Squibb receives FDA approval for new formulation of antiretroviral Reyataz

Bristol-Myers Squibb on Friday announced that it has received FDA approval for a single 300 mg capsule formulation of its protease inhibitor Reyataz to be taken as part of combination therapy, Reuters reports.

24 Oct 2006

Treatments used for SARS no benefit to victims

Researchers have found, following a systematic review of all studies done on the 2003 SARS epidemic, that none of the treatments used to treat patients appear to have worked.

13 Sep 2006

SARS: Systematic review of treatment effects

The SARS virus set alarm bells ringing across the world when it first appeared in 2002, but now a review of the effectiveness of the treatments used against it has found no evidence that any of them worked.

12 Sep 2006

Researchers find way to decrease risk of atherosclerosis that accompanies long-term use of protease inhibitors

Physiologists may have found a way to decrease the risk of hardening of the arteries that accompanies the long-term use of protease inhibitors, a class of drugs that has emerged as the most effective treatment against HIV and AIDS.

5 Sep 2006

Simpler and less expensive method of controlling the progression of HIV

There might be a simpler and less expensive method of controlling the progression of HIV, according to several preliminary studies presented last Thursday at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, the Los Angeles Times reports (Chong, Los Angeles Times, 8/18).

20 Aug 2006

FDA approves Prezista (darunavir)

FDA approves Prezista (darunavir), a new drug for adults whose infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has not responded to treatment with other antiretroviral drugs.

26 Jun 2006

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals receives NDA for investigational HIV protease inhibitor

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals has announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for TMC114, an investigational HIV protease inhibitor, has been accepted for priority review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

7 Mar 2006

HIV/AIDS drugs may also be effective against malaria

Researchers at The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have found that drugs used to treat HIV Aids may also be effective against the biggest killer in the world - malaria.

2 Jun 2005

FDA recommends approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended the approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir (11-3). Tipranavir is a non-peptidic protease inhibitor that requires boosting with low-dose ritonavir and must be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents.

20 May 2005

Roche to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir)

Roche announced today that it has decided to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir), as clinical demand for the drug has declined significantly due to the availability of a new formulation of Invirase (saquinavir mesylate), which increasingly has become the preferred formulation of saquinavir.

18 May 2005

New compounds for the treatment of HIV/AIDS

Scientists from Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. presented data on several new compounds for the treatment of HIV/AIDS at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), held February 22-25 in Boston, MA, USA.

27 Feb 2005

HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors also protect against Malaria

Scientists from The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have found that a group of HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors may also be effective for treating or preventing malaria.

11 Nov 2004

Protease inhibitors used to treat HIV-1 infection may also be effective for treatment or prevention of malaria

The study found protease inhibitors inhibited the growth of P. falciparum, the malaria parasite that causes most disease. These findings may also expose a previously unexplored vulnerability in the parasite that could lead to a new class of anti-malarial drug.

8 Nov 2004

Boehringer Ingelheim - New Drug Application (NDA) for tipranavir

The Company is seeking accelerated approval of tipranavir and has requested a priority, six-month review of the NDA. Priority review designation is based upon whether a drug provides a significant improvement in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease.

25 Oct 2004

Widely used antimalarial drug exhibits antiviral activity against the SARS

Virologists from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium report that chloroquine, a widely used antimalarial drug, exhibits antiviral activity against the SARS coronavirus. Chloroquine is an inexpensive and safe drug available worldwide.

5 Sep 2004

FDA reinforces use of Sustiva in first-line HIV combination therapy

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that Sustiva® (efavirenz) has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include new long-term virologic and clinical data from BMS Study 006 in its prescribing information.

26 Aug 2004

AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Abbott Laboratories have agreed to work together on enhanced AIDS prevention

The agreement resolves the two lawsuits brought by AHF against Abbott over the company's price increase for its HIV/AIDS drug, Norvir® (ritonavir).

17 Jul 2004

Study evaluates effectiveness of LEXIVA/ritonavir and Lopinavir/ritonavir in protease inhibitor

HIV treatment regimens containing the protease inhibitor (PI) LEXIVA® (fosamprenavir calcium) dosed with ritonavir (LEXIVA/r) or lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (LPV/r) were effective in suppressing HIV in patients who had failed prior PI-containing regimens, according to information presented at the International AIDS Conference (IAC).

12 Jul 2004

Health Canada warning on Trazodone interaction with certain medications

Health Canada, in association with Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, is advising Canadians to consult with their health care professionals if they are currently being treated with the antidepressant trazodone in combination with any of the following medications: ketoconazole (an antifungal agent), ritonavir and indinavir (protease inhibitors used in the treatment of HIV), or carbamazepine (an anti-epileptic therapy).

9 Jul 2004