Merck's new HIV drug seen as great alternative
Living with HIV is often difficult enough, but if you're on AIDS-fighting drugs and your body has built up a resistance to them over time, often you may feel like the dash of hope you once had is starting to fade.If you've stopped responding to other AIDS drug recently, a new HIV product from Merck may be the answer. So much, in fact, that the FDA has stated Merck's Isentress drug is a superior solution for AIDS patients who have built up an immunity to other drugs.
In general, the FDA seems like it is one inconsistent, bureaucratic organization that is very hard to trust these days. But, when it comes to prescription drugs meant to fight several viral infections, new developments can be seen as very positive. I believe Isentress may fall into that category.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-05-2007 @ 8:46PM
Clerk said...
Please read slightly more carefully: it's not that an AIDS patient's _body_ grows resistant. It's that the _infection_ becomes resistant or even immune to the drug over time. It's a very important difference. In many drugs, such as opiates, the patient herself might develop a tolerance and require higher dosages. In antibiotics and antivirals, what usually happens is that the target microorganism mutates slightly and is no longer susceptible to that particular form of treatment. Other treatments, especially in combination, may still have an impact on the target.
If you are going to blog about health you have an obligation to readers to fully understand what you are blogging about. Otherwise you run the risk of spreading misinformation and making the situation far worse than if you had said nothing at all. Please be very careful about these sorts of things.
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