Structured intermittent therapy

Structured intermittent therapy (SIT) was coined in early 2000 by Mark Dybul, Anthony Fauci, and other research scientists from the National Institute of Health, as a form of treatment for patients with HIV. A study conducted in 2001 found that patients with HIV who were being treated aggressively with continuous highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were able to increase mortality rates but were not likely to kill the HIV virus all together. Thus, it was concluded that the long-term toxicity and expense of HAART would not support it as the standard, long term form of treatment for HIV patients. However, administering medications in a structured intermittent manner would both reduce toxicity and cost to the patients.

This same study found that a Structured intermittent therapy (SIT) approach may help to maintain health while also reducing cost and toxicity of antiretroviral therapy. This approach may be particularly useful in areas where resources and access to therapies are limited. have particular applicability in resource-poor settings where access to therapy is limited, in part, by the cost of antiretroviral agents.