A Bristol-Myers Squibb Drug Warning: Zerit/Videx Combination Not Recommended During Pregnancy

Following three deaths, drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has issued an important warning about the drug combination of Zerit (d4T, stavudine) and Videx (ddI, didanosine) in pregnant women. The women had abnormally high levels of lactic acid in the blood, a condition known as lactic acidosis that has been linked to the use of nucleoside anologue reverse transcriptase (NRTI) drugs. The women were treated throughout their pregnancy with the combination of Videx and Zerit. Because of these cases, BMS recommends that the combination of Zerit and Videx be used with extreme caution during pregnancy and is recommended only if a woman has very limited treatment options, or in other cases where the benefit clearly outweighs the risk.

For more information regarding lactic acidosis, see the STEP Ezine, Issue 20, at www.thebody.com/step/ezine_121500/workshop.html.