Viral load decay in antiretroviral-naïve patients receiving once-daily tenofovir and emtricitabine plus twice-daily nevirapine.
OBJECTIVE
The once-daily nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone of tenofovir and emtricitabine has been proven effective in combination with efavirenz and protease inhibitors in large clinical trials. This study evaluated tenofovir and emtricitabine in combination with nevirapine.


METHODS
Viral load was assessed at baseline, Day 3, and Day 7 in addition to Weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 60, 72, and 84 in 10 antiretroviral-naïve patients participating in an open-label clinical trial of tenofovir and emtricitabine once daily in combination with nevirapine twice daily.


RESULTS
All patients achieved viral decay with this combination. Two patients discontinued prior to virologic suppression, one with a viral load of 55 copies/mL. Virologic suppression (<50 copies/mL) was achieved by Week 24 in the remaining 8 patients. An undetectable viral load was maintained during > or =60 weeks follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study of treatment-naïve patients, the combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine plus twice-daily nevirapine produced sustained viral load decay in patients including those with a high baseline viral load.
Amoroso
Anthony
A
Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Gilliam
Bruce L
BL
Talwani
Rohit
R
Boyce
Colleen
C
Redfield
Robert R
RR
Davis
Charles E
CE
D000225:Adenine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000068698:Tenofovir; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects*
D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D063065:Organophosphonates; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D019829:Nevirapine; D000068698:Tenofovir; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D000225:Adenine; C098320:efavirenz