FDA Approves a New Drug From Johnson and Johnson, Edurant To Treat HIV

The drug is for treatment for those who have not had any prior treatment for HIV and is taken once a day. The drug is said to have less side effects and works better with patients who have a lower viral load of HIV infections. BD

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug to treat HIV infection on Friday. The drug, made by an arm of Johnson & Johnson, will be sold under the name Edurant, and is designed to be used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs in HIV-positive adults who have not received any prior treatment or therapy.
Once-a-day Edurant, or rilpivirine, is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, which blocks replication of HIV and lowers the level of the virus in patients' blood. It was approved by the government based on the results of clinical trials that involved more than 1,300 adults with HIV.
In the trials, patients were given either rilpivirine or efavirenz (Sustiva) — an older FDA-approved drug — in combination with other antiretroviral drugs, a treatment approach known as highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.