Guides › Changing treatment and drug resistance

IQ and VIQ

Research is looking to individualise treatment further by using tests that measure the Inhibitory Quotient (IQ) or Virtual Inhibitory Quotient (VIQ). These blood tests look at the effect of viral fitness – how well your virus reproduces. Different resistant and non-resistant viruses are more ‘fit’ than others.

IQ and VIQ tests are being integrated with TDM and resistance tests to provide information on drug sensitivity (which is related to drug concentration) for an individual patient. This has the potential to result in more targeted and effective care.

These tests are not yet available but they are an exciting area of research.

February 2011

Decisions relating to your treatment should always be taken in consultation with your doctor. Information in this guide is intended to support those discussions.

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