Beyond Abacavir/3TC: Good News on First-Line Regimens

Positive data emerged this year to support the use of boosted atazanavir and boosted darunavir in treatment-naive patients; raltegravir also looks promising in this population.

Although the controversy about the safety and virologic efficacy of abacavir/3TC (AIDS Clin Care Dec 29 2008) was probably the biggest story in first-line regimen news this year, we also heard a lot of positive data about boosted PIs and raltegravir.

Ritonavir-boosted atazanavir has long been used in treatment-naive patients, but its safety and efficacy were only recently confirmed in the CASTLE study. At 48 weeks, ritonavir-boosted atazanavir was determined to be noninferior to lopinavir/ritonavir when each was given with tenofovir/FTC; virologic response rates (viral load <50 copies/mL) were 78% and 76%, respectively (AIDS Clin Care Aug 25 2008). By 96 weeks, rates of virologic response favored ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (74% vs. 68%), b…

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Charles B. Hicks, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardGilead Sciences; ViiV; Merck

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc.

Grant / Research supportNIH; Department of Health and Human Services

Charles B. Hicks, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardGilead Sciences; ViiV; Merck

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc.

Grant / Research supportNIH; Department of Health and Human Services

Beyond Abacavir/3TC: Good News on First-Line Regimens

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