Protease Inhibitors

A new experimental antiviral drug called 3TC, taken in combination with the commonly used drug AZT, decreased AIDS infection and appeared to improve the immune systems of patients better than either drug used alone, according to new studies presented Wednesday. The findings represented the second piece of encouraging news in AIDS therapy in as many days and further bolstered the opinion of most researchers that combinations of powerful drugs are the best hope for controlling the disease.

In the first good news to come out of the battle against AIDS in this decade, researchers reported Tuesday that a new family of drugs called protease inhibitors can sharply reduce replication of the human immunodeficiency virus and restore immune system functioning in patients in the early stages of the disease.