Strategies for third line HIV therapy

May 2008     View PDF     En español

Creating your next regimen

The most ideal regimen contains at least two potent drugs to which you have no resistant HIV, preferably ones you’ve never used before. Many studies show that people who start a regimen with at least two new, fully active drugs are likely to have better treatment outcomes.

For some people, the recently approved drugs — Intelence (etravirine), Isentress (raltegravir) and Selzentry (maraviroc) — are enough to make a regimen with two new drugs. For others, these might only offer one. Some people will depend on expanded access programs, third line therapy studies, or a mix of these to access other new drugs.

The pace of drug development

Developing new drugs is an uneven and unpredictable process. For example, from late 2006 to early 2008, four new drugs were approved, including two new classes. This allowed many people with limited treatment options to construct new potent, fully active regimens — often for the first time in many years. Unfortunately, no new drugs are expected until sometime in 2010. If you’re heavily treatment experienced, with resistance to many of the older HIV drugs, this new crop represents a great chance to create an effective and durable regimen.