Encouraging data for GSK's Lexiva

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline presented encouraging data from a head-to-head study evaluating its drug Lexiva (fosamprenavir calcium) versus US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb's protease inhibitor Reyataz (atazanavir) in an open-label, randomized study of 106 antiretroviral-naive patients. Findings from the ALERT study were presented at the 4th International AIDS Society Conference, held in Sydney, Australia. In the group receiving ritonavir-boosted Lexiva, 75% had viral load of less than 50 copies/mL and 79%had viral load under 400 copies/mL vs 83% (p=0.34) and 87% (p=0.30) of patients on ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, respectively.