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Amid its planning for the 2000 European launch of Trizivir, a new AIDS drug that contains Ziagen, Glaxo Wellcome acknowledged that Ziagen has caused adverse reactions-- including fever and vomiting-- in roughly 4 percent of patients. The firm said it believes, though, that physicians in the AIDS field have been aware of the potential adverse events. Generating $254 million since it was launched in the United States and Europe in 1999, Ziagen has also caused hypersensitive reactions in some AIDS patients that have resulted in death; however, the exact number of fatalities from the treatment was not disclosed.

"We regularly write to both doctors and those in the HIV care area to tell them about the incidence rate for when they are prescribing Ziagen," Glaxo explained. Despite the fears, Glaxo plans to roll out its new drug-- which combines Ziagen, Epivir, and Retrovir-- in Europe and the United States by the year's end.

Editor's Note: from Financial Times