Adherence was determined to be the best predictor of a favorable response. This regimen would have a total pill burden of 9 capsules twice a day. The ritonavir is included to increase drug trough levels. The proposed regimen is an attempt to take advantage of differences in resistance mutations to amprenavir and saquinavir. Unfortunately, this combination has not yet been evaluated in vivo for pharmacokinetic data, efficacy or safety.
New agents seem scarce.
Some new drugs risk being duplicates of what is already available, thus offering no benefit to patients in need of rescue therapy. Several abstracts at the workshop presented data on a few potentially novel therapies. Although these compounds have limited utility because of kidney toxicity and lack of oral bioavailability, batyl alcohol analogs of these compounds show favorable activity and resistance profiles and will presumably be tested further. Early clinical data suggest that fewer opportunistic infections occur in patients receiving this compound. Adherence is vital.