title: Antiretroviral activity and safety of abacavir in combination with selected HIV-1 protease inhibitors in therapy-naive HIV-1-infected adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess antiretroviral efficacy and safety of abacavir in combination with selected HIV-1 protease inhibitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 48-week, open-label study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two antiretroviral naive HIV-1-infected adults (CD4 cell count > or = 100 cells/mm3, plasma HIV-1 RNA > or = 5,000 copies/ml) were randomly assigned to receive abacavir (300 mg twice daily) in combination with standard doses of one of five protease inhibitors: indinavir, saquinavir soft-gel, ritonavir, nelfinavir or amprenavir. Adults who met protocol-defined switch criteria at or after week 8 could modify their randomized therapy. Antiretroviral activity was assessed by the proportion of subjects with plasma HIV-1 RNA < or = 400 and < or = 50 copies/ml, and by changes in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and CD4 cell counts. Safety was assessed by monitoring clinical adverse events and laboratory abnormalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 48, the proportion of subjects in the indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, nelfinavir and amprenavir groups with plasma HIV-1 RNA < or = 400 copies/ml was 53, 50, 50, 41 and 56%, respectively, and the proportion with HIV-1 RNA < or = 50 copies/ml was 47, 56, 50, 47, and 44%, respectively (by intent-to-treat analysis). Median reductions from baseline in plasma HIV-1 RNA for each group ranged from 1.7 to 2.4 log10 copies/ml. The median CD4 cell count increase from baseline was 195, 131, 116, 136 and 259 cells/mm3 in the indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, nelfinavir, and amprenavir groups, respectively. Overall, the most common adverse events attributed to study drugs were diarrhoea, nausea, malaise/fatigue, headache and perioral paresthesia. The frequency of treatment-limiting adverse events did not differ between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abacavir is safe and effective when used in combination with a protease inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh/VA Medical Center, PA, USA. mcmahon@msx.dept-med.pitt.edu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lederman
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haubrich
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cooney
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cutrell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spreen
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mellors
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D000099227:Abacavir
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000099227:Abacavir