Pharmaceutical companies are working on the next generation of AIDS medicines that may bolster the current arsenal of 64 approved medicines, according to a recent survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

The survey found 73 pharmaceutical companies, plus the National Institutes of Health, are conducting research on 103 new medicines for AIDS. All of the medicines are either in clinical trials or awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a PhRMA press release.

Vaccines and new ways to boost the body immune system are examples of some of these new approaches. Thirteen vaccines are in development, including one currently in Phase III clinical trials expected to conclude in 2002.

In addition to the new approaches, companies are also working on new versions of medicines that have already proven effective against AIDS for many patients. For example, one company is testing the first in a new class of protease inhibitors with a different structure than current protease inhibitors.

Other AIDS-related conditions are also targets of company research. The survey found 22 medicines in development for AIDS-related cancers, 7 for fungal infections and several to treat AIDS-related pneumonia and diarrhea and to manage severe pain.

(From Medscape)