Boehringer Ingelheim’s Aptivus ‘outperforms protease inhibitors group’

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the results from the latest Resist-1 and Resist-2 studies, showing that Aptivus (tipranavir) outperformed a control group of protease inhibitors when used as part of a combination antiretroviral treatment.

Research presented at the 8th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection in Glasgow also showed that treatment with tipranavir resulted in higher quality of life measures when compared with other protease inhibitors.

Over twice the number of patients responded to Aptivus compared to the control group, with the benefits improved by the co-administration of enfuvirtide, while the measure of health-related quality of life was improved compared to those patients treated with lopinavir, amprenavir, saquinavir or indinavir.

Professor Brian Gazzard, consultant physician and research director, department of HIV/GU medicine at the Chelsea Westminster Hospital, said: “The Resist trial continues to provide insight into how to maximise treatment response with Aptivus/r.”

He added that the research showed that the drug provided a lasting treatment option that can endure almost two years of treatment

Earlier this year, British medical journal The Lancet published data from an analysis of the Resist-1 and Resist-2 studies into the use of Aptivus for patients infected with HIV-1 over a 48-week period, showing a considerable and robust benefit in treatment response for the drug.