Zidovudine

HISTORY

A placebo-controlled randomized trial of AZT was subsequently conducted by Burroughs-Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline ), in which it was shown that it could prolong the life of patients with AIDS. Burroughs Wellcome Co. filed for a patent on AZT in 1986 . The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug (via the then-new FDA accelerated approval system) for use against HIV, AIDS, and ''AIDS Related Complex'' (ARC, a now-defunct medical term for pre-AIDS illness) on March 20 , 1987 , and then as a preventive treatment in 1990 . It was initially administered in much higher dosages than today, typically one 400mg dose every four hours (even at night). However, the unavailability at that time of alternatives to treat AIDS affected the risk/benefit ratio, with the certain toxicity of HIV infection outweighing the risk of drug toxicity. One of AZT's Side-effect s includes Anemia , a common complaint in early trials.

Modern treatment regimens typically use lower dosages two to three times a day in order to improve the overall quality of life. Like other Antiretroviral Drug s, AZT is also almost always used in ''highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)''. That is, it is combined with other drugs in order to prevent mutation of the HIV into an AZT-resistant form.''De Clercq, E: HIV resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Biochemical Pharmacology 1994; Vol. 47, No 2 pp. 155-169''''Yarchoan R, Mitsuya H, Broder S. AIDS therapies. Sci Am 1988;259(4):110-9''

PROPHYLAXIS

Information About

Zidovudine