Soft gel saquinavir has high exposure
A study presented at the 35th Meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America shows that an investigational soft gel formulation of saquinavir (Fortovase) has nearly 10 times the drug exposure of the current hard gel formulation (Invirase).
When used in combination with AZT and 3TC, the protease inhibitor reduced viral load below detectable limits (400 copies) in 77% of patients and increased CD4 counts by 143 cells at 12 weeks, researchers noted.
The study enrolled 41 treatment-naive patients with more than 10,000 copies of HIV RNA and CD4 counts greater than 100. They received 1200 mg of fortovase three times daily. The drug was well-tolerated by most patients. The most frequent adverse reactions were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. After 12 weeks, only two patient had to withdraw because of side effects.
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