i-Base

Glossary

Selected words and phrases

dronabinol – medicine made from the active ingredient in marijuana. Dronabinol is approved in the US but is no longer available in the UK.

virological failure – the term for when viral load levels never reach undetectable, or if they rebound to higher levels after previously being undetectable. See clinical failure.

genotype (or genotypic) – This term has several common uses:

1. a general term for the molecular structure of a living organism or virus.

2. a test that looks at the structure of an organism of virus (ie genotype resistance test looks for changes in the virus structure – called mutations).

3. a category for different types of similar viruses – ie hepatitis C has many subtypes, referred to as genotype-1, genotype-2 etc. HCV genotype is the strongest predictor of response to hepatitis C treatment.

See also phenotype.

randomised controlled trial (RCT) – a type of research study that produces very high quality results. RCTs are often called gold-standard – ie the best evidence.

Study participants are randomly assigned to one of more study arm. One or more arms might use new drugs and another (the control arm) maybe uses the standard of care, or maybe a placebo.

See: randomise

expanded access programme (EAP) – a scheme that allows people to access a drug before it has been approved (but when approval is expected).

EAPs are for people urgently need treatment as a life-saving option and who do o have the time to wait for the six months that it takes for approval to be finalised. EAPs are usually available for most HIV drugs after the main studies (phase 3) have been completed.

They were an important early result of community activism. They are also called ‘early access’ or ‘named-patient’ programmes.