Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX)

[DewDiligence]

>You could make the same argument for using lamivudine as first-line , i.e. , what does it hurt to use the cheapest drug first ? For some patients, it works well for quite a while , for the others, just switch them to something else.<

In most of Asia, the above is exactly what doctors are doing. In the U.S., managed care is not that cheap and most plans now cover the newer HBV agents in the first line.

The VA, by the way, still uses Lamivudine quite a bit. Drug therapy at the VA can be a lot like drug therapy in the Third World.