A new protease drug comes out for people who have failed the others. New drug "classes" appear on the horizon. The New York Times reports two triple therapy pills coming out. One is a generic for the developing world. The second is a brand drug for the USA. And each will require just one tablet, either once or twice a day. Fifteen years ago we had nothing. Ten years ago, you'd take a plate full of pills. Now so few. How does it happen? Bringing a new drug to market is a good ten years of exploration, trying multiple compounds of chemicals and ruling out a lot of compounds that won't work. The challenges are many: -Identifying a weak point in the virus' life cycle to interrupt. -Finding a compound that is toxic to the virus, but not to the human host.Figuring out what dosage will be best. -Designing a carrier (e.g. pill, injection, etc.) to carry the compound without creating new problems (e.g. diarrhea). -Studying the drug with the other drugs, foods, beverages, herbs that the human is likely to use. Learning about HIV, you'd think you were in a science fiction movie. The virus looks like a spacecraft. The process of it "merging" with you is just like a Stargate episode. Listening to the terms and discussion you'd think the researchers were engineers, explorers, and architects. In a way, they are. Understanding HIV to intervene means that we now analyze the immune system and the virus down to the basic genetic and chemical components. Computer, test-tube and animal models help us design the molecules to make an active drug which will inactivate or kill the virus. Wow. A lot of effort. The goal is something easy-to-take (e.g. fewer pills, fewer times, few side effects.) If it's not easy to take, the drug may cure HIV, but sit on the shelf unused. People generally have to be terribly sick before they'll deal with difficult therapy. We have some great drugs that people just can't tolerate. Today we have about twenty great drugs. Is that enough? Unfortunately, no. The virus is a very sloppy reproducer and so it keeps changing. We have a large percentage of people who get infected with virus already immune to some drugs. Your best defense? Don't get infected. Stay healthy with diet, exercise, breathing and rest. If you are positive, don't pass on your infection. Even if you're poz, don't get re-infected by someone else. It may not be the same virus you have. Alan Amberg covered the gay world for radio, print and TV. Today he works at C&M Pharmacy, a division of Walgreens Specialty HIV Pharmacy. Reach at 847/299-1920 or aamberg@cmphamracy.com.