AIDS drug to be phased out

China has vowed to gradually phase out the AIDS drug D4T, which the World Health Organization recommended early in 2009 be phased out worldwide because of its long-term and irreversible side effects.

"As the country is further expanding antiretroviral therapy among sufferers under the treatment as prevention strategy now recognized worldwide, the drug regimen will also be optimized," Wu Zunyou, director of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, said on Friday.

Since WHO's recommendation in 2009, China has already taken steps to reduce the use of D4T, said Zhao Yan, deputy director of the AIDS treatment and care division of the center.