The dose of DDI was 300 mgs given as a single daily dose, as several studies have shown that with hydroxyurea, lower doses achieve as good a result. The dose of Stavudine was 40 mgs bd, and hydroxyurea 500 mgs bd. If an inadequate response was shown at six to twelve weeks in the dual regime, the treatment was intensified with stavudine. Some patients should have had their treatment intensified, but refused due to cost. Thus there are several patients with an inadequate response who are remaining well despite an unsatisfactory viral load.
Most patients have data to six months but some only to three months.
After nine months as people were getting accustomed to feeling well, they were less compliant with their follow up data. A significant lowering of viral load occurs across all ranges for the patients regardless of initial CD4 count and viral load. Thereafter the levels fluctuated but remained low without the rebound one would expect with viral escape. Two of these patients sustained that to one year and another to nine months. This is a very different pattern to that seen in standard antiretroviral therapy where the initial drop is dramatic and when viral escape seems to occur the deterioration is inexorable.