title: Comparative efficacy of nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors in combination with efavirenz: results of a systematic overview.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many trials of antiretroviral therapy in treatment-naïve subjects have investigated the relative efficacy of the third drug in a treatment regimen. However, the nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) components may also affect efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic overview of clinical trials studying initial treatment in naïve subjects receiving efavirenz-containing regimens and providing week 48 time to loss of virologic response (TLOVR) results was undertaken to compare results with different NRTI combinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven trials studying 3,807 subjects were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics were similar across studies. Using the week 48 TLOVR results as the primary method of comparison, combinations of tenofovir and lamivudine or emtricitabine appeared to provide improved virologic responses. Similar results were obtained when the proportions of subjects with plasma HIV RNA levels <50 copies/mL were examined.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. jab5@duke.edu
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Quinn
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068698:Tenofovir; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D063065:Organophosphonates; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D000068698:Tenofovir; D000225:Adenine; C098320:efavirenz