Anti-HIV drug updates--three drugs on the near horizon.

The most significant new information about anti-HIV drugs offered in Barcelona concerned those drugs that are either already available or which will soon be available. This includes new information about T-20 (now called enfuvirtide or Fuzeon) and atazanavir--two drugs which will likely be approved within the next six months. Another new drug likely to be approved soon is FTC (Coviracil), a close relative of 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir), though its importance is less certain than that of enfuvirtide and atazanavir. Important new information was also released about tenofovir (Viread), a drug approved by the FDA late in 2001. Equally important were new observations about some older drugs, particularly the combination of ddI and d4T. Many comparative studies of different drug combinations were also reported, offering new information about the relative value of a number of treatment strategies.