"I would be much more comfortable giving the shorter dose to infants, or at least offering parents the option," especially if the baby isn't tolerating AZT very well, he tells WebMD.

I was advised to enter a drug trial, something Jack had mentioned as the next step if I couldn't tolerate AZT.

Initially, at least, the drug will be made available to patients who can no longer tolerate AZT.

In tests, some patients who could not tolerate AZT were able to take one of these agents.

In addition, it can suppress white blood cells, and some patients cannot tolerate both gancyclovir and azidothymidine, or AZT, the only drug shown to prolong the lives of AIDS patients.

One trial studies whether or not patients who have tolerated AZT more than a year should stay on AZT or switch to DDI.

This is especially important for those who can no longer tolerate AZT.

The third trial, whose recruitment goal is 360 patients, is for patients who cannot tolerate AZT.

The experimental drugs are being distributed widely only when there are no effective alternative treatments, for example for AIDS patients who cannot tolerate AZT.

Mr. Harrington predicted that many doctors would prescribe combinations of DDI and AZT for patients who could tolerate AZT.