A 48-week study by Melbourne-based biotechnology company Avexa into its experimental HIV treatment Apricitabine (ATC) showed that it reduced the virus to undetectable levels in more than 90 per cent of patients.
Patients who were initially treated with another drug 3TC (brand name Epivir) but who changed to ATC at week 24 also improved their response after their switch to ATC.
Avexa also reported that the CD4 cell count of ATC-treated patients continued to increase out to 48 weeks. Patients initially treated with 3TC who then switched to ATC doubled their levels of CD4 cell count at week 48 (after 24 weeks of ATC) compared to their CD4 cell count after 24 weeks of 3TC.
