The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said yes to Johnson and Johnson subsidiary Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' anti-retroviral drug etravirine, suggested as an extra therapy for patients who have failed to improve using other treatment regimens. Etravirine (Intelence) is related to a new class of anti-HIV drugs called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI).

Results of two double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trials found that a blend of darunavir (Prezista) and etravirine (Intelence) helped more patients than a single darunavir (Prezista) therapy.

The FDA warned there is no knowledge of the long-standing effects of etravirine therapy, and that the safety and efficacy in children and people below the age of 16, has not been tested.