title: [Efficacy of atazanavir in treatment-naive patients].
abstract: The characteristics of atazanavir (convenient doses, good tolerance, and excellent lipid profile) makes it an attractive drug to be included in initial regimes. Clinical trials have been performed on patients with no previous antiretroviral treatment, either atazanavir without boost (400 mg once per day) or atazanavir boosted with ritonavir (400/100 mg). Although atazanavir without boost is effective, there is a tendency for a higher number of failures and a higher development of resistant mutations than in patients who fail with boosted atazanavir. Therefore, it is recommended to use boosted atazanavir in patients that start on treatment. In clinical studies, boosted atazanavir can be used with any nucleoside analogue. No pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interaction problems have been detected with the two nucleoside combinations at fixed doses (tenofovir/FTC, abacavir/3TC). Randomised clinical studies have been carried out that compared atazanavir with other boosted protease inhibitors. In the comparative study with lopinavir/ritonavir administered two times a day, atazanavir/ritonavir once per day demonstrated noninferiority, with a similar efficacy regardless of the patient baseline viral load. The atazanavir/ritonavir virological efficacy did not appear to be affected by the baseline immunological status of the patients, which did influence the lopinavir/ritonavir response. Atazanavir/ritonavir is a useful drug combination in the initial treatment of HIV infected adult patients. Its increased virological and immunological efficacy, together with its ease of administration, good tolerance and excellent lipid profile makes it a PI of choice in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España. smoreno.hrc@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dronda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D000069446:Atazanavir Sulfate; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011725:Pyridines; D000069446:Atazanavir Sulfate; D019438:Ritonavir