Stavudine News and Research

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Stavudine, also known as Zerit or d4T, is a type of medicine called a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI). This class of medicines blocks reverse transcriptase, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself. Stavudine was approved by the FDA on June 24, 1994, for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children. Stavudine may also be used to prevent health care workers and others from getting HIV infection after they accidentally come into contact with the virus on the job; however, this practice does not have FDA approval. Stavudine does not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS and does not reduce the risk of passing the virus to other people.

WHO issues new HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines

The WHO on Monday issued new recommendations that patients living with HIV/AIDS begin receiving antiretrovirals (ARVs) earlier than current HIV treatment advice suggests, the Associated Press reports

1 Dec 2009

Phase III STARTMRK clinical study on ISENTRESS in comparison to efavirenz

ISENTRESS , an integrase inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc., was studied in comparison to efavirenz in maintaining viral load suppression to undetectable levels (less than 50 copies/mL) and at improving CD4 cell counts in previously untreated (treatment-naïve) HIV-1-infected patients through 96 weeks in a Phase III study called STARTMRK.

14 Sep 2009

Early retroviral use best for AIDS patients with serious complications

HIV-positive patients who don't seek medical attention until they have a serious AIDS-related condition can reduce their risk of death or other complications by half if they get antiretroviral treatment early on, according to a new multicenter trial led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

17 May 2009

Final FDA approval for generic version of antiretroviral Zerit capsules

Mylan Inc. has announced that Matrix Laboratories Limited, its India-based subsidiary in which it holds a 71.5% controlling interest, received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 29, for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Stavudine Capsules USP, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg.

1 Jan 2009

Monitoring AIDS treatment by physical symptoms is effective

When millions of HIV-infected people in poor countries began receiving advanced drug therapies, critics worried that patient care would suffer because few high-tech laboratories were available to guide treatments.

24 Apr 2008

HIV drugs, Abacavir and Didanosine increase the risk of heart attack

A study to assess the adverse effects of anti-retroviral drugs shows that two widely-used HIV drugs are associated with an increased risk of heart attack/the formation of blood clots in the heart.

8 Feb 2008

Thailand shows how free access to life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs can be affordable

A new report on Thailand's experience of giving free anti-retroviral drugs (ART) to people living with AIDS suggests that even developing countries with few resources may be able to deliver the life-saving drugs on a large scale, according to the World Bank and the Thailand Ministry of Public Health.

16 Aug 2006

No shred of evidence that HIV-positive men who lose fat in their legs reciprocally gain fat in their bellies

There is no syndrome that causes increased belly fat and decreased facial and limb fat among HIV-positive men who take antiretroviral drugs, according to a study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

13 Oct 2005

No specific antiretroviral drug-related "Crix belly" syndrome

Contrary to the concerns of many HIV-infected patients, there appears to be no specific antiretroviral drug-related "syndrome" of changes in body fat distribution in men wherein leg and arm fat decrease as belly fat increases, reports a study in the October issue of Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS).

28 Sep 2005

Poorer countries to benefit from reinstatement of 7 generic AIDS drugs to WHO's list

India's Ranbaxy Laboratories, seven anti- AIDS drugs, have been added to World Health Organisation's (WHO) prequalification list for use in poor countries.

21 Aug 2005

Generic tritherapy can be used as a basic treatment for AIDS

A clinical trial, conducted in Cameroon by IRD researchers working with other organizations and supported by the ANRS, has demonstrated that one of the most common combinations currently deployed in Africa, using nevirapine, stavudine and lamivudine, satisfies these criteria.

5 Sep 2004

Comparison of antiretroviral therapies shows that tenofovir DF and stavudine are equally effective

Results from a three year double-blinded trial which compared antiretroviral therapies show that the combination regimens of tenofovir DF and stavudine, are equally effective, though tenofovir DF has more favorable outcomes with respect to cholesterol levels and the nervous system.

11 Jul 2004

Inexpensive generic fixed-dose combined therapies appears the most suitable solution for treating AIDS in developing countries

The development of simple and inexpensive generic fixed-dose combined therapies appears the most suitable solution for making possible this access to treatments in developing countries with meagre resources.

3 Jul 2004

Generic fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of antiretrovirals are a key factor in access to treatment of HIV/AIDS infection in the developing world

Combination therapy with three generic antiretroviral drugs in a single tablet has been validated for the first time in an open clinical study in a developing country. Follow-up of 60 patients treated in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has demonstrated the excellent efficacy and safety of a generic fixed-dose combination.

2 Jul 2004

Access to HIV antiretroviral therapies in the developing world should be a major world health priority

One of the strategies adopted consists in utilizing combinations of fixed doses of generic antiretrovirals, involving three medicinal drugs of two different classes in the same tablet.

2 Jul 2004