Brazil Developing Triple-Combination Antiretroviral Drug

Brazil is in the final stages of testing a triple-combination antiretroviral drug, Orival Silveira, coordinator of the treatment and assistance unit at the Ministry of Health's National Sexually Transmitted Diseases/AIDS Program, said Wednesday, Xinhuanet reports. The three drugs used in the treatment -- zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine -- are being developed by the Brazil-based Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

The triple-combination therapy will make it easier for HIV-positive people to adhere to their treatment regimens, Silveira said, adding that studies have shown that treatment regimens with more than two pills daily are more difficult for people to follow. According to the health ministry, about 180,000 people in Brazil are undergoing antiretroviral treatment, which is subsidized fully by the government (Xinhuanet, 12/20).

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