NEW DATA STRENGTHEN ROLE OF ZERIT (D4T) AS FIRST-LINE HIV TREATMENT ASIA/PACIFIC STUDY HELPS PHYSICIANS, PATIENTS TO CHOOSE OPTIMAL FOUNDATION FOR COMBINATION THERAPY MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire - AsiaNet/ -- The HIV medications Zerit (d4T, stavudine) and Videx (ddI, didanosine) are an effective foundation for the combination treatment of HIV, according to new research presented at the 4th International Congress on AIDS om Asia and the Pacific. Data presented at the meeting also reinforce the role of Zerit as a key component in first-line HIV treatment, based on studies that compare d4T-based versus AZT-based double and triple combination regimens. Findings to support Zerit and Videx include data from the HIV-Netherlands- Australia-Thailand (HIV-NAT) Research Collaboration, which showed that d4T and ddI is a potent two-drug combination therapy. "These new studies will help physicians and patients to determine the best foundation for optimal HIV therapy and make challenging decisions about the use of antiretroviral medications," said Dr. David Cooper, Director and Professor of Medicine, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research in Sydney, Australia. In the HIV-NAT study, 78 newly diagnosed HIV patients in Thailand received five different regimens of d4T and ddI, or ddI alone. During the study, patients who received ddI alone were switched to the full-dose combination of both d4T and ddI. Interim results after 24 weeks showed that patients who received d4T and ddI had a significant (1.7 log) reduction in viral load, a measure of HIV levels in the blood. All regimens were safe and well-tolerated. "With the rapidly evolving standard of care for HIV, it is increasingly important to choose an effective foundation for combination therapy," said Dr. Kiat Ruxrungtham, Deputy Director of the HIV-NAT Research Collaborative, Thai Red Cross Society in Bangkok. "These results demonstrate that d4T/ddI is one of the most well-tolerated and effective initial therapies in newly diagnosed patients." In the Selection of Thymidine, Antiretroviral Therapy (START I/II) studies, patients received combination therapy with three drugs, including a protease inhibitor and two nucleoside analogues. Preliminary data from START I/II show similar immunologic and virologic response from the commbinations of AZT/3TC/indinavir, d4T/3TC/indinavir, and d4T/ddI/indinavir after 6 months of treatment. In AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) Study 306, the first head-to-head comparison of d4T/3TC and AZT/3TC, patients who received d4T/3TC experienced a 0.5 log greater reduction of viral load than patients treated with AZT/3TC. However, this was not statistically significant. Interim results at 6 months show 57% of patients treated with d4T/3TC had undetectable levels of viral load compared with 45% of those, who received AZT/3TC. "These new data suggest that patients and physicians should consider d4T- based combinations due to safety and efficacy," said Dr. Cooper. "In view of the high tolerability profile of d4T, activity in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), coupled with its lack of resistance and cross-resistance to other antiretrovirals, physicians could consider 4dT as a logical component of combination treatments." BMS: A Leader in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases Bristol-Myers Squibb is a leading company in the research and development of HIV treatments. VIDEX, the company's first contribution to antiviral therapy, has been available since 1992. ZERIT was first available in the US in 1994 and is now available worldwide. Both Zerit and Videx are available in Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; Videx is also available in Taiwan. In June, the company announced its plan to acquire development and marketing rights for two protease inhibitors from Novartis. BMS is committed to virology as part of a larger discovery effort investigating new treatments for infectious diseases causes by viruses, bacteria and fungi. The virology discovery group is comprised of some 50 research scientists involved in four major antiviral research programs: AIDS/HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, respiratory RNA viruses,and herpes viruses. In the Asia/Pacific region, the company has an ongoing clinical trials program for infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis B. Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified worldwide health and personal care company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer products, nutritionals and medical devices. It is a leading maker of innovative therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases, central nervous system and dermatological disorders, and cancer. The Company is also a leader in consumer medicines, orthopedic devices, ostomy care, wound management, nutritional supplements, infant formulas, and hair and skin care products. Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb on the World Wide Web at: http://www.bms.com . SOURCE Bristol-Myers Squibb CONTACT: Ami Knoefler of Bristol-Myers Squibb/US, + 609-252-4533, home,+ 212-496-6725, or [email protected]; or Jinkee Pajarito of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Philipines, + 63-2-815-6151 /Web site: http://www.bms.com /(BMY)