Treatments Cause Side Effects
In many cases, the meds that battle the disease cause side effects, including diarrhea. Doctors say it is one of the main reasons people switch or discontinue their antiretroviral treatment.
The new drug called, Fulyzaq, is now approved to combat the bothersome side effect. The medication is distributed by Salix Pharmaceuticals and marks a breakthrough for HIV/AIDs patients.
“Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies for HIV-associated diarrhea,” said Julie Beitz, M.D., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Fulyzaq may be helpful to HIV/AIDS patients with this troublesome condition.”
Medication Has Natural Roots
According to a press release from the FDA, Fulyzaq is derived from the red sap of the Croton lechleri plant. “It’s the second botanical prescription drug approved by FDA. A botanical drug product is often a complex mixture derived from one or more plant materials with varying degrees of purification. In 2006, the FDA approved the first botanical prescription drug, Veregen, a treatment for external genital and perianal warts.”
More on HIV/AIDs
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34 million people around the world are living with HIV. The virus has killed about 30 million people since the disease burst into the medical world in the late 80s.
Currently, patients are given antiviral medications to treat HIV/AIDS, which have to be
taken for life. The medication can control virus levels, but never eliminates the virus completely.
Recent studies have shown progress in the effort to find a cure. In September of last year, researchers discovered a cancer drug that has the potential to flush “dormant” HIV cells from the body.
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