China has approved the first domestically developed, long-acting injectable HIV drug Albuvirtide which could be a boon to tens of thousands of HIV/AIDS patients in the country. The drug, approved by the China Food and Drug Administration, can block the fusion of the virus and host cell membranes, interrupting the HIV life cycle in its earliest stage, state-run Global Times quoted a report. Albuvirtide is injected once a week and is secure, compared to imported anti-HIV drugs, Albuvirtide has fewer side effects, especially on the liver, head of the infection centre at Beijing Youan Hospital.
The drug is a fusion inhibitor that should be used with antiretroviral drugs to treat people with HIV condition who have received antiviral therapy. Albuvirtide could potentially enhance patient compliance, improve quality of life and reduce treatment costs for HIV-infected patients, it wrote.…
