The push for once-daily HAART: a call for caution
11 September 2002. Related: On the web.
from Medscape HIV/AIDS eJournal
Andrew D Luber, PharmD
Advances in the management of HIV have resulted in significant declines in both mortality and AIDS-related opportunistic infections. As a result, the management of HIV-infected individuals has shifted from morbidity/mortality prevention to a chronic disease management model for many patients. With this change in treatment strategy, interventions to improve patient adherence and quality of life have become more prominent. Several recent articles on the Medscape HIV/AIDS Web site have reflected the growing focus of drug developers on once-daily antiretroviral agents and regimens, with varying degrees of success. While the use of entirely once-daily antiretroviral regimens has been highly anticipated by both providers and patients, it should be appreciated that there are many potential pitfalls among all three classes of antiretroviral agents when constructing such regimens.