Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
 170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Controversy exists about the use of a new oral testosterone treatment, oxandralone (Oxandrin), manufactured by Bio-Technology General of Iselin, NJ. The drug was approved through the Food and Drug Administration's investigational new drugs (IND) procedure for promoting weight gain in HIV-positive individuals. Oxandralone, approved in the 1960s for disorders affecting growth in children, has been shown to have more anabolic activity and fewer masculinizing effects than other testosterone drugs, according to the company literature. However, experts in wasting syndrome are not prescribing the drug for their patients until larger efficacy studies are conducted. Some experts are prescribing the drug for patients identified with low levels of testosterone--research shows that about 20 percent of HIV-positive men have low testosterone levels. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) may be an adverse effect of the testosterone supplement. Several case reports show that high doses of testosterone can suppress the biological mechanisms that help control KS lesions. Currently, the most effective treatment for wasting is human growth hormone therapy. However, the cost of the treatment, $1,000 per week, is too high for many. Two other drugs approved for the treatment of wasting are Marinol and Megace. In addition, progressive resistance exercise is effective in HIV-positive patients, even with advanced HIV disease and AIDS.
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PMID:Experts leery of new oral testosterone treatment. 1136 43

Oxandrin and Anadrol-50 are both oral anabolic steroids approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and they are competing for market share in the world of HIV treatments. Both are described as "open label" drugs and as such, are prescribed to reverse wasting and metabolic complications associated with HIV. Anadrol-50 is among the most potent steroids ever developed for building muscle, and study participants gained an average of 14.5 pounds for each 100 pounds of weight. Early studies indicate minimal side effects with liver toxicity, but that is not a certainty since oral anabolics are known for liver toxicity. Many studies have documented Oxandrin's safety and effectiveness in treating HIV wasting. It is metabolized in the kidney and acts without the masculinizing side effects associated with other steroids, such as Anadrol-50. One study showed an average weight gain of 24 pounds following 8 months of treatment. Oxandrin is the best choice for those at the earliest stages of AIDS wasting syndrome. However, when a more aggressive treatment is necessary, Anadrol-50 is stronger, less expensive, and more effective, but liver function must be monitored closely.
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PMID:Comparing Oxandrin and Anadrol-50. 1136 32