WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AIDS patients should be given a genetic test before treatment with GlaxoSmithKline Plc's drug, Ziagen, to see if they face a higher risk of a potentially fatal reaction, U.S. regulators said on Thursday.
For patients who test positive for a specific gene variation, Ziagen treatment "is not recommended and should be considered only under exceptional circumstances when the potential benefit outweighs the risk," the Food and Drug Administration said in a notice on its website.