Originally published September 28 2005
Experimental AIDS pill may cause serious liver problems
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
GlaxoSmithKline's experimental AIDS drug, Aplaviroc, has been shown to cause severe liver toxicity in patients, which is a major setback in the drug's development.
The world's largest maker of HIV/AIDS drugs, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, is suffering a setback in its development of a new kind of AIDS pill.
Two cases of serious liver problems in patients taking its experimental drug Aplaviroc are causing the company to terminate further testing.
Phase III tests of the product on patients who have not received other HIV therapies has ended, Reuters reports.
Aplaviroc, or GSK 873140, belongs to a new class of oral medicines called CCR5 inhibitors that can block the AIDS virus before it enters human cells.
The discovery of severe liver toxicity is a setback for the drug, but does not mean the end of its development.
Glaxo is offering treatment-experienced patients the option of continuing in its Phase III study, but with additional monitoring for liver toxicity.
A Glaxo spokesman tells Reuters the group still hopes Aplaviroc will reach the market.
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