Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2010. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - March 2, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say women given nevirapine to protect the fetus from HIV should not use that drug for at least a year after childbirth.
University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers said despite nevirapine working well to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, a single dose of nevirapine in infected pregnant women can trigger resistance to some forms of the AIDS-drug cocktail known as combination anti-retroviral treatment.
Professor Jeffrey Stringer, who led the study, said the nevirapine-induced resistance fades after about 12 months.
"This study shows that women who need treatment more than 12 months after using nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child transmission safely can use standard first-line treatments in their countries," Stringer said. "Women who need treatment sooner than that should use a combination that does not contain nevirapine, typically (a) regimen that contains protease-inhibitor drugs."
The study that included scientists from Zambia, Nairobi and Bangkok is reported in the journal PLoS Medicine.
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