Glaxo-Wellcome has written to health care providers to warn them not to treat as temporary seasonal problems any flu-like symptoms or acute respiratory illness in patients who have recently started abacavir (Ziagen) treatment. The reactions could be symptoms of an abacavir hypersensitivity reaction that is life-threatening if treatment does not stop immediately.
Approximately 3% of people who have started abacavir develop a potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction in clinical trials of the drug. Doctors and patients have been warned to look out for at least two out of the following groups of symptoms:
Fever Shortness of breath, sore throat or cough Skin rash (redness or itching) Nausea or vomiting or diarrhoea or abdominal pain Severe tiredness or achiness or general `ill' feelingOther rare reported symptoms include joint pain, conjunctivitis, mouth ulcers and low blood pressure.
Glaxo-Wellcome now says that approximately one-fifth of people who develop the hypersensitivity reaction have symptoms such as cough, severe sore throat and shortness of breath. 80% of patients who died as a result of the hypersensitivity reaction experienced these symptoms.
If the hypersensitivity reaction develops, abacavir treatment should be stopped immediately and should not be re-started.