Low-Dose Efavirenz — The New Standard?

Efavirenz at 400 mg daily was as effective as — and better tolerated than — the standard 600-mg dose and would provide substantial savings.

Coformulated tenofovir, FTC, and efavirenz 600 mg was the first once-daily single-tablet regimen available in the U.S. and is still a preferred regimen. In its groundbreaking 2013 HIV guideline revision, the WHO not only recommended initiating therapy earlier and greatly expanding the number of eligible patients, but also suggested tenofovir plus FTC or 3TC plus efavirenz 600 mg per day as the standard initial regimen for all treatment-naive patients aged ≥3 years (including pregnant women). Until now, the efficacy of lower doses of efavirenz had not been examined in a large-scale study.

In a recent multinational trial, 630 antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected adults (32% women, 37% black, 33% Asian, 30% white) were randomized to receive tenofo…

Reviewing 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

Low-Dose Efavirenz — The New Standard?

Topics

Reviewing Author