Press room ... 1997 archive

Project Inform Applauds Addition of Nevirapine and Cidofovir to AIDS Drug Assistance Program Formulary

May 5, 1997

San Francisco, CA—Project Inform, a national HIV/AIDS treatment information and advocacy organization, applauded the announcement by the California State Office of AIDS that it is adding two new drugs, nevirapine and cidofovir, to the formulary of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). ADAP provides HIV/AIDS treatments at low or no cost to persons without health insurance or without adequate prescription drug coverage.

“The addition of these promising treatments is welcome news for many people living with HIV/AIDS who could not otherwise afford them,” said Anne Donnelly, Public Policy Director. “From the day these drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration, we have been strongly advocating for these drugs to be placed immediately on the ADAP formulary.”

Nevirapine is the first non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recent data strongly suggests that individuals who have been using anti-HIV drugs for a period of time and have developed resistance to their current protocol should switch to two drugs they have not used simultaneously in order to combat HIV most effectively. The inclusion of nevirapine, as both a new class of drugs and a new option, on the ADAP formulary is especially important for those who may no longer be benefiting from their treatment regimen and need to switch therapies. In addition, nevirapine is known to cross the blood-brain barrier, and may therefore be helpful in preventing and/or treating neurological manifestations of HIV-disease, including AIDS Dementia Complex.

Cidofovir is a new treatment that fights CMV infections. This drug is expected to greatly improve the quality of life for people with CMV, as it is administered only once every two weeks compared with daily infusions of current treatment.

In addition to adding these two treatments to the ADAP formulary, the California State Office of AIDS also announced plans to accelerate the process for adding newly approved therapies that are considered cost-neutral for the state.

“Project Inform is extremely supportive of the State Office of AIDS’ proposal to expedite the addition of cost-neutral therapies to the ADAP formulary,” continued Donnelly. “This plan will improve quality of life and productivity for people living with HIV and AIDS.”

Anyone with questions about these new treatments or how to access the AIDS Drug Assistance Program is encouraged to call Project Inform’s National HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline: 800-822-7422.