BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

2nd generation PIs

February 8, 1999 8:00 AM UTC

Of the four HIV protease inhibitors on the market, many have shortcomings in key areas of convenience, pharmacokinetics or tolerability. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Abbott Laboratories believe that their second generation inhibitors, Agenerase amprenavir and ABT-378, have characteristics that will make their compounds the protease inhibitors of choice in future HIV cocktail regimens.

Anthony Japour, associate medical director of antiviral ventures at Abbott, noted that "all marketed protease inhibitors have either an inconvenient daily dosing regimen, side effect profiles or limitations in pharmacokinetics. Our second generation compound has no such problems." Abbott last week presented 24-week data from a Phase II study in 74 patients in which no patients withdrew due to adverse events, while VRTX presented preliminary Phase III data (see Clinical Results, B9, B12)...