A new pill which
combines four HIV drugs could make sufferers' lives much easier and may increase the
effectiveness of the medication.
According to a report of trials at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's
Hospital published in the Lancet, the one-a-day drug is safe to use.
Lead researcher Paul Sax explained that patient adherence is always important
to successful treatment, but even more so in HIV cases where missed doses can
allow the virus to adapt to become resistant to the drugs.
Dr Steve Taylor, an HIV specialist at Birmingham Heartland Hospital, told the
BBC: "Without a doubt the achievement of a one-a-day pill has been a big
advance in tackling HIV.
"We've come a long way from people taking up to 40 pills three times a
day."
According to charity Avert, around 114,766 cases of HIV have been reported in
the UK.
© Adfero Ltd
Sexual health news : 30 June 2012
