Early clinical experience with atazanavir in treatment-experienced patients.
BACKGROUND
Atazanavir (ATV) is a newly approved protease inhibitor following successful clinical trials in naive and treatment-experienced patients. We describe early experience with ATV in treatment-experienced patients attending a single ambulatory care clinic in Sydney.


METHODS
Patients commencing ATV between February 2003 and May 2004 in an expanded access program were identified from the clinic pharmacy's database. Data were retrospectively collected from patients' medical records.


RESULTS
Data from 30 patients were analysed. Reasons for commencing ATV were: virological failure in six patients (20%); toxicity to previous regimen in 13 patients (43%); simplification strategy in two patients (7%); and recommencing therapy in nine patients (30%) following treatment interruption. Six patients (20%) discontinued ATV. One patient discontinued ATV due to virological failure, two patients discontinued due to toxicity to concomitant antiretrovirals, two as a result of the patient's choice and one as a result of the physician's decision. Eighteen patients commenced ATV in combination therapy with a detectable viral load (VL). From a baseline VL of 4.3 +/- 1.1 log10 copies mL(-1), 15 (83%) had > 1.0 log decrease in VL with 11 (61%) achieving viral suppression (<50 copies mL(-1)). Three (16%) failures were recorded in this group. Twelve subjects commenced ATV with an undetectable VL. One failure was recorded in this group. Bilirubin increased by 22.7 micromol L(-1) (P < 0.001), with significant decreases in cholesterol (1.4 mmol L(-1), P = 0.01) and triglycerides (1.5 mmol L(-1), P = 0.01) in 12 patients on ritonavir-boosted ATV.


CONCLUSIONS
This audit found ATV to be safe, well tolerated and had good potency in treatment-experienced patients. However caution should be exercised in switching to ATV in heavily pre-treated patients.
Jeganathan
Sarangapany
S
AAlbion Street Centre, 150-154, Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia. sarangapanyj@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Smith
Don
D
Gold
Julian
J
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000069446:Atazanavir Sulfate; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D024921:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011725:Pyridines; D000069446:Atazanavir Sulfate; D001663:Bilirubin