A study in the March edition of the journal AIDS shows that highly active antiretroviral therapy retains its effectiveness for years for patients with excellent adherence, possibly even as long as two decades. Researchers evaluated the risk of virologic failure in 223 patients who were on a variety of HAART regimens and had suppressed viral loads to below 50 copies per milliliter of blood. Based on their study data, the researchers estimated that the median time before an individual who carefully stuck to an anti-HIV drug regimen would experience treatment failure would be about 20 years. 'If initial viral suppression is achieved and adherence to therapy can be maintained, the chance of treatment failure is extremely low,' the authors wrote.
