SWITCHMRK: An Avoidable Raltegravir Disaster

Somewhat predictably, treatment-experienced patients on stable regimens who switched from lopinavir/r to raltegravir did not fare as well as those who remained on lopinavir/r.

Raltegravir showed unprecedented activity among triple-class–resistant patients in the BENCHMRK studies, especially when combined with other fully active agents (JW Infect Dis Jul 23 2008). Raltegravir also showed great promise among treatment-naive patients in the STARTMRK studies (JW AIDS Clin Care Nov 10 2008). Now, as reported at this year’s Retrovirus Conference, investigators have further explored the use of this drug in second-line and salvage regimens in the industry-sponsored SWITCHMRK-1 and -2 studies [Eron J et al. Abstract 70aLB].

A total of 702 patients with undetectable viral loads (<50 copies/mL) on lopinavir/ritonavir-based regimens were randomized to either continue the lopinavir/r or switch to raltegravir (keeping the other…

Author

Helmut Albrecht, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leadership positions in professional societiesColumbia Medical Society; South Carolina Infectious Diseases Society

Helmut Albrecht, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leadership positions in professional societiesColumbia Medical Society; South Carolina Infectious Diseases Society

SWITCHMRK: An Avoidable Raltegravir Disaster

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