Trizivir

Treatment of HIV infection has typically been carried out using two nucleoside analogues and a protease inhibitor (PI). Such regimens can be complex and have high pill burdens. Use of alternative regimens, such as triple nucleoside based regimens, can improve adherence and decrease toxicities associated with PI therapy. Trizivir™ is a combination tablet of zidovudine, lamivudine and abacavir. This formulation allows a dosing schedule of one pill twice-daily. The components of have performed favourably compared to PI-based regimens, such as indinavir. However, in one study the individual components of Trizivir did not suppress HIV-1 viral replication as well as the PI-based regimen in a subset of patients with very high HIV-1 plasma RNA. Trizivir also avoids side effects of antiretroviral therapy, such as hyperlipidaemia, but its use is associated with a hypersensitivity reaction in a small number of patients. Trizivir is an important part of the HIV armamentarium. The potency and ease of administration of Trizivir make it worth consideration in HIV therapy, either by itself or in combination with other agents.