The Food and Drug Administration Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee has unanimously approved of  the drug tesamorelin acetate, marketed as Egrifta, for treating lipodystrophy of the abdomen in HIV patients.  Egrifta is manufactured by Theratechnologies Inc. Montreal.

Lipodystrophy is an accumulation of visceral fat around the abdomen that can be unsightly.  The 16 member panel listened to the testimony of 2 HIV patients who told them of the devastation of lipodystrophy, which they claim “label” them as AIDS patients (Medscape).

The panel also studied results of a clinical trial that showed that 57% of HIV patients who were given Egrifta received an 8% or greater reduction in abdominal fat, compared to 29% who took a placebo. After reviewing the data, one panel member stated that the drug is doing exactly what the sponsor has been saying it would do all along.

While this is certainly great progress in providing support to HIV patients, the search for an actual cure for the disease has been rife with problems.  According to the May 10 issue of the New York Times, doing so still eludes medical researchers.  Although antiretroviral cocktails can manage the virus, they do not cure it.  One reason  it has been so difficult to find a cure thus far:   the virus mutates exponentially-it morphs as much in one day as the flu virus does in one year.