Triple-Drug Therapy for HIV Highly Effective

A British study has found that standard triple-drug therapy for HIV infection gives long-term protection against the development of full-flown AIDS,Agence France-Pressereported.

Researchers analyzed data about 7,916 HIV-positive patients on the standard triple-antiretroviral drug therapy, finding that only 167 developed extensive resistance to all three types of medication. The researchers estimated the risk of such triple failure after 10 years of therapy at about 9.2 percent.

The findings appear inThe Lancetmedical journal.

The three main classes of drugs used in this triple therapy are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors. The therapy is considered to have failed when the drugs can no longer suppress replication of the HIV virus,AFPreported.

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