Nelfinavir failure doesn't limit other protease inhibitors

Patients who have failed treatment with nelfinavir have been treated with other protease inhibitors and experienced favorable anti-HIV responses, reports its manufacturer, Agouron Pharmaceuticals of La Jolla, CA.

A study of 26 patients showed that 24 weeks after switching from nelfinavir, 68% of patients had viral loads below detection using bDNA assay. The patients were switched to a combination including ritonavir or saquinavir.

Agouron also reports preliminary results from clinical studies indicating that twice-daily dosing of nelfinavir produces anti-HIV effects comparable to those resulting from the standard three-times-daily dosing.

Studies have shown that combination therapy with nelfinavir can produce undetectable levels of virus in patients for more than 24 months.