[15] MODELLING OF LONG TERM TREATMENT RESPONSES

content="As effective treatment for HIV treatment has only developed recently and is rapidly evolving, it is not surprising there are no studies yet published to guide optimum long term strategic drug treatment. In the absence of such sub-studies mathematical analysis using mark-off models are useful in understanding the importance of some of the issues involved and can help to guide health economic analysis, optimum time to initiate treatment and best first treatment options. Much of this work has been pioneered by Dr Pablo Tebas who has demonstrated that later initiation of treatment may be associated with a better long term outcome and reduced drug resistance. He has also suggested that the intuitive initiation with the most potent antiretroviral regime may not provide the best long term outcome if such treatments are not durable or tend in failure to allow virus to reappear in the circulation which does not respond well to the second regime. Using similar models, cost effectiveness analysis has indicated that antiretroviral therapies are amongst the most effective and cheapest treatments for chronic diseases and that even in some of the developing world, such therapies should be seriously considered as a viable option." /> [15] MODELLING OF LONG TERM TREATMENT RESPONSES

1st International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment

Buenos Aires, Argentina - July 8-11, 2001

[TITLE:] MODELLING OF LONG TERM TREATMENT RESPONSES

[AUTHOR(S):] Professor B G Gazzard MA MD FRCP
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London,UK

IAS Conf HIV Pathog Treat 2001 Jul 8-11;1st: Abstract No. 15

[ABSTRACT:] As effective treatment for HIV treatment has only developed recently and is rapidly evolving, it is not surprising there are no studies yet published to guide optimum long term strategic drug treatment. In the absence of such sub-studies mathematical analysis using mark-off models are useful in understanding the importance of some of the issues involved and can help to guide health economic analysis, optimum time to initiate treatment and best first treatment options. Much of this work has been pioneered by Dr Pablo Tebas who has demonstrated that later initiation of treatment may be associated with a better long term outcome and reduced drug resistance. He has also suggested that the intuitive initiation with the most potent antiretroviral regime may not provide the best long term outcome if such treatments are not durable or tend in failure to allow virus to reappear in the circulation which does not respond well to the second regime. Using similar models, cost effectiveness analysis has indicated that antiretroviral therapies are amongst the most effective and cheapest treatments for chronic diseases and that even in some of the developing world, such therapies should be seriously considered as a viable option.

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