GLOBAL HEALTH: Entecavir Shows Activity Against HIV But Also Selects for an Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Mutation

Audio Journal of Global Health Issues Entecavir Shows Activity Against HIV But Also Selects for an Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Mutation REFERENCE: Abstract: 136LB, 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Los Angeles February 25-29, 2007 CHLOE THIO, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Entecavir, used to treat hepatitis B virus infections, can lower levels of HIV in co-infected patients but also selects for a mutation that makes HIV resistant to entecavir as well as the antiretroviral drugs lamivudine and emtracitabine. These findings, derived from three case reports and associated laboratory studies, have important implications for the treatment of HBV in HIV-infected patients. Current guidelines, issued in October 2006 and which recommend entecavir as a first-line treatment of HBV in co-infected individuals who do not require anti-HIV therapy, need to be reconsidered. Chloe Thio discussed her study results and their implications with Dan Keller at the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los Angeles.