Lamivudine Counters HIV/HBV Co-Infection

BioChem Pharma's antiviral drug lamivudine (3TC) is effective in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B virus, according to the results of a small study. Chief executive Francesco Bellini presented the data at Hambrecht & Quist's Investing in Biotechnology meeting in London, UK, on May 9.

The study enrolled 30 HIV-positive patients who were seriously ill with hepatitis B. All patients were treated for one year with 600mg/day lamivudine.

At the end of the treatment period, 89% of the patients tested negative for HBV DNA (measured by polymerase chain reaction), and five patients had seroconverted. In a subgroup of patients with less severe disease, all patients were seronegative by the end of the study.