Response by gender of HIV-1-infected subjects treated with abacavir/lamivudine plus atazanavir, with or without ritonavir, for 144 weeks.

PURPOSE: The 144-week results of the open-label, multicenter Atazanavir/Ritonavir Induction with Epzicom Study (ARIES) were stratified by gender to compare treatment responses. METHODS: A total of 369 HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naïve subjects receiving once-daily abacavir/lamivudine + atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) whose HIV-1 RNA was <50 copies/mL by week 30 were randomized 1:1 at week 36 to maintain or discontinue ritonavir for 108 subsequent weeks. Between- and within-treatment gender-related efficacy and safety differences were analyzed. RESULTS: Subjects were 85% male; 64% white; and had a mean age of 39 years, baseline median HIV-1 RNA of 114,815 copies/mL, and median CD4+ cell count of 198 cells/mm3. Gender (ATV [n=189]: 29 females/160 males; ATV/r [n=180]: 25 females/155 males) and most other demographics were similar between groups; more females than males were black (65% vs 25%) and fewer females had baseline HIV-1 RNA ≥100,000 copies/mL (41% vs 58%). At week 144, no significant differences between genders were observed in proportion maintaining HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL (ATV, 79% vs 77%; ATV/r, 60% vs 75%) or <400 copies/mL (ATV, 83% vs 84%; ATV/r, 68% vs 82%) (intent-to-treat-exposed: time to loss of virologic response analysis); median CD4+ change from baseline (ATV, +365 vs +300 cells/mm3; ATV/r, +344 vs +301 cells/mm3); proportion with treatment-related grade 2-4 adverse events (baseline to week 144: ATV, 41% vs 31%; ATV/r, 36% vs 43%; weeks 36 to 144: ATV, 14% vs 13%; ATV/r, 24% vs 23%); or proportion developing fasting lipid changes. Female and male virologic failure rates (ATV, 0 vs 5; ATV/r, 2 vs 4) and proportions completing the study were similar during the extension phase. Primary withdrawal reasons were loss to follow-up and pregnancy for females and loss to follow-up and other for males. CONCLUSION: Over 144 weeks, no significant gender differences were observed in efficacy, safety, or fasting lipid changes with abacavir/lamivudine +ATV or abacavir/lamivudine +ATV/r.

Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of influenza viruses isolated from adult subjects during a phase II study of intravenous zanamivir in hospitalised subjects.

Intravenous zanamivir (IVZ) is a neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor (NAI) under investigation for the treatment of subjects hospitalised with influenza. The study included 130 symptomatic, hospitalised adults with influenza. Subjects received IVZ for 5-10 days. Viruses were cultured and analysed for susceptibility to zanamivir. Mean IC50s (n = 50) (±SD) for influenza A/H1N1pdm09, A/H3N2 and influenza B were 0.20 ± 0.06, 0.26 ± 0.07 and 1.61 ± 0.35 nM, respectively, and are comparable to data observed for sensitive isolates. A total of 185 NA and 180 haemagglutinin (HA) sequences were obtained from 123 subjects; the majority did not contain resistance substitutions. Four influenza A/H1N1pdm09 viruses from four subjects harboured NA resistance substitutions: three, Y155H, D199G and S247N, were present at Day 1 before IVZ exposure and the fourth, E119D/E, was detected at Post Treatment +5 Days but was not present at 5 other timepoints. Five subjects harboured virus with treatment-emergent NA substitutions not associated with resistance; N63D, V83A, W190C, M269K (A/H1N1pdm09) and R210K (A/H3N2). Viruses from fifteen subjects harboured HA resistance substitutions, (A/H1N1pdm09) one emerged during treatment: S162N (Day 5). Five viruses harboured treatment-emergent HA substitutions (A/H1N1pdm09) not associated with resistance: E81K, V108L, S164D, D168N and S185N. 10/92 subjects with A/H1N1pdm09 harboured a D222 HA substitution, which has been associated with increased virulence. The emergent substitutions are not associated with resistance but may have arisen due to selection pressure during IVZ treatment or by chance. In this study, there was evidence for resistance selection in a post treatment sample but the resistant variant did not persist in later visit samples.

Simplification to abacavir/lamivudine + atazanavir maintains viral suppression and improves bone and renal biomarkers in ASSURE, a randomized, open label, non-inferiority trial.

OBJECTIVE: Simplification of antiretroviral therapy in patients with suppressed viremia may minimize long-term adverse effects. The study's primary objective was to determine whether abacavir/lamivudine + atazanavir (ABC/3TC+ATV) was virologically non-inferior to tenofovir/emtricitabine + atazanavir/ritonavir (TDF/FTC+ATV/r) over 24 weeks in a population of virologically suppressed, HIV-1 infected patients. DESIGN: This open-label, multicenter, non-inferiority study enrolled antiretroviral experienced, HIV-infected adults currently receiving a regimen of TDF/FTC+ATV/r for ≥ 6 months with no history of virologic failure and whose HIV-1 RNA had been ≤ 75 copies/mL on 2 consecutive measurements including screening. Patients were randomized 1 ∶ 2 to continue current treatment or simplify to ABC/3TC+ATV. METHODS: The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with HIV-RNA<50 copies/mL at Week 24 by the Time to Loss of Virologic Response (TLOVR) algorithm. Secondary endpoints included alternative measures of efficacy, adverse events (AEs), and fasting lipids. Exploratory endpoints included inflammatory, coagulation, bone, and renal biomarkers. RESULTS: After 24 weeks, ABC/3TC+ATV (n = 199) was non-inferior to TDF/FTC+ATV/r (n = 97) by both the primary analysis (87% in both groups) and all secondary efficacy analyses. Rates of grade 2-4 AEs were similar between the two groups (40% vs 37%, respectively), but an excess of hyperbilirubinemia made the rate of grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities higher in the TDF/FTC+ATV/r group (30%) compared with the ABC/3TC+ATV group (13%). Lipid levels were stable except for HDL cholesterol, which increased significantly in the ABC/3TC+ATV group. Bone and renal biomarkers improved significantly between baseline and Week 24 in patients taking ABC/3TC+ATV, and the difference between groups was significant at Week 24. No significant changes occurred in any inflammatory or coagulation biomarker within or between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: After 24 weeks, simplification to ABC/3TC+ATV from TDF/FTC+ATV/r maintained viral suppression was well-tolerated, and led to improvements in bone and renal biomarkers and HDL cholesterol. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01102972 GlaxoSmithKline Clinical Study Register #113734.

Safety and pharmacokinetics of intravenous zanamivir treatment in hospitalized adults with influenza: an open-label, multicenter, single-arm, phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous zanamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor suitable for treatment of hospitalized patients with severe influenza. METHODS: Patients were treated with intravenous zanamivir 600 mg twice daily, adjusted for renal impairment, for up to 10 days. Primary outcomes included adverse events (AEs), and clinical/laboratory parameters. Pharmacokinetics, viral load, and disease course were also assessed. RESULTS: One hundred thirty patients received intravenous zanamivir (median, 5 days; range, 1-11) a median of 4.5 days (range, 1-7) after onset of influenza; 83% required intensive care. The most common influenza type/subtype was A/H1N1pdm09 (71%). AEs and serious AEs were reported in 85% and 34% of patients, respectively; serious AEs included bacterial pulmonary infections (8%), respiratory failure (7%), sepsis or septic shock (5%), and cardiogenic shock (5%). No drug-related trends in safety parameters were identified. Protocol-defined liver events were observed in 13% of patients. The 14- and 28-day all-cause mortality rates were 13% and 17%. No fatalities were considered zanamivir related. Pharmacokinetic data showed dose adjustments for renal impairment yielded similar zanamivir exposures. Ninety-three patients, positive at baseline for influenza by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, showed a median decrease in viral load of 1.42 log10 copies/mL after 2 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Safety, pharmacokinetic and clinical outcome data support further investigation of intravenous zanamivir. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT01014988.

Inflammatory biomarker changes and their correlation with Framingham cardiovascular risk and lipid changes in antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients treated for 144 weeks with abacavir/lamivudine/atazanavir with or without ritonavir in ARIES.

Propensity for developing coronary heart disease (CHD) is linked with Framingham-defined cardiovascular risk factors and elevated inflammatory biomarkers. Cardiovascular risk and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated in ARIES, a Phase IIIb/IV clinical trial in which 515 antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected subjects initially received abacavir/lamivudine + atazanavir/ritonavir for 36 weeks. Subjects who were virologically suppressed by week 30 were randomized 1:1 at week 36 to either maintain or discontinue ritonavir for an additional 108 weeks. Framingham 10-year CHD risk scores (FRS) and risk category of <6% or ≥6%, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were assessed at baseline, week 84, and week 144. Biomarkers were stratified by FRS category. When ritonavir-boosted/nonboosted treatment groups were combined, median hsCRP did not change significantly between baseline (1.6 mg/liter) and week 144 (1.4 mg/liter) in subjects with FRS <6% (p=0.535) or with FRS ≥6% (1.9 mg/liter vs. 2.0 mg/liter, respectively; p=0.102). Median IL-6 was similar for subjects with FRS <6% (p=0.267) at baseline (1.6 pg/ml) and week 144 (1.4 pg/ml) and for FRS ≥6% (2.0 pg/ml vs. 2.2 pg/ml, respectively; p=0.099). Median Lp-PLA(2) decreased significantly (p<0.001) between baseline (197 nmol/min/ml) and week 144 (168 nmol/min/ml) in subjects with FRS <6% and with FRS ≥6% (238 nmol/min/ml vs. 175 nmol/min/ml, respectively; p<0.001). In conclusion, in antiretroviral-naive subjects treated with abacavir-based therapy for 144 weeks, median inflammatory biomarker levels for hsCRP and IL-6 generally remained stable with no significant difference between baseline and week 144 for subjects with either FRS <6% or FRS ≥6%. Lp-PLA(2) median values declined significantly over 144 weeks for subjects in either FRS stratum.

ARIES 144 week results: durable virologic suppression in HIV-infected patients simplified to unboosted atazanavir/abacavir/lamivudine.

BACKGROUND: The open-label study ARIES (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00440947) utilized a ritonavir (/r)-boosted protease inhibitor treatment simplification strategy. Antiretroviral-naïve subjects received abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC) + atazanavir/ ritonavir (ATV/r) from baseline through randomization at week 36, then maintained or discontinued ritonavir for an additional 108 weeks. Non-inferiority of the unboosted regimen was demonstrated at week 84. In this optional extension phase, virologic suppression and adverse events were assessed through week 144. METHODS: Patients were randomized at week 36 if they had confirmed HIV RNA <50 copies/mL by week 30 and no previous virologic failure (VF; defined as failure to achieve HIV RNA <400 copies/mL or confirmed rebound after achieving HIV RNA ≥400 copies/mL). Three hundred sixty-nine subjects who completed 84 weeks in ARIES participated in the extension phase and maintained their randomized regimen for an additional 60 weeks post randomization. RESULTS: At week 144, 146/189 (77%) versus 132/180 (73%) subjects in the unboosted ATV and ATV/r groups, respectively, maintained HIV RNA <50 copies/mL. Post randomization (weeks 36-144), treatment-related grade 2-4 adverse events were more common in the ATV/r-treated (23%) compared to the ATV-treated (13%) group; the most frequently reported was increased serum bilirubin (6% of ATV-treated subjects vs 14 % of ATV/r-treated subjects). During the extension phase, 3% (11/369) of subjects met protocol-defined VF (5 ATV-treated and 6 ATV/ r-treated subjects); one ATV/r-treated subject had treatment-emergent major viral resistance-associated mutations. The median change in fasting triglycerides from baseline to week 144 was significantly different (P=.001) in the ATV-treated (-8.5 mg/dL) compared to the ATV/r-treated (28.5 mg/dL) groups. CONCLUSIONS: These long-term study results demonstrate that ATV in combination with ABC/3TC is a potent, well-tolerated regimen in patients who have achieved initial suppression on a ritonavir-boosted regimen.

Similar efficacy and tolerability of atazanavir compared with atazanavir/ritonavir, each with abacavir/lamivudine after initial suppression with abacavir/lamivudine plus ritonavir-boosted atazanavir in HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Treatment simplification strategies involving induction with a ritonavir (RTV)-boosted (/r) protease inhibitor regimen followed by simplification (without RTV) are appealing because they may offer sustained virologic suppression while minimizing potential long-term adverse effects associated with RTV. METHODS: This open-label, randomized, noninferiority study enrolled 515 antiretroviral therapy-naive patients to receive abacavir/lamivudine plus atazanavir/RTV (ATV/r) followed by randomization at week 36 (N = 419) to maintain or discontinue RTV for an additional 48 weeks. Eligibility for randomization required confirmed HIV RNA level below 50 copies/ml and no virologic failure. Protocol-defined virologic failure after week 36 was confirmed rebound of HIV RNA level at least 400 copies/ml. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with HIV RNA level below 50 copies/ml at week 84 (time to loss of virologic response). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00440947. RESULTS: At week 84, noninferiority of ATV to ATV/r (95% confidence interval around the treatment difference -1.75 to 12.48%) was demonstrated with 181 of 210 (86%) patients in the ATV group and 169 of 209 (81%) in the ATV/r group maintaining HIV RNA level below 50 copies/ml. During the randomized phase (weeks 36-84), 10 versus 14% of patients in the ATV and ATV/r arms, respectively, experienced a drug-related grades 2-4 adverse event with hyperbilirubinemia being the most frequently reported (4 versus 10%). The overall rate of protocol-defined virologic failure was 2%; no patient had virus that developed a major protease inhibitor mutation. CONCLUSION: ATV in combination with abacavir/lamivudine is a potent and well tolerated regimen in patients who have achieved initial suppression on an induction regimen and represents a viable treatment simplification strategy.

Safety and efficacy of a 36-week induction regimen of abacavir/lamivudine and ritonavir-boosted atazanavir in HIV-infected patients.

PURPOSE: The ARIES study assessed safety and efficacy of an induction regimen with atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/RTV) + abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC) followed by simplification to ATV + ABC/3TC in antiretroviral-naïve patients. METHODS: This report includes a noncomparative analysis of all patients in the induction phase of the ARIES study through 36 weeks (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00440947). This open-label study included 515 antiretroviral-naïve,HLA-B*5701-negative patients receiving a regimen of ATV 300 mg, RTV 100 mg, and ABC/3TC 600 mg/300 mg once daily for 36 weeks; eligible patients were then randomized to continue the induction regimen or simplify to ATV 400 mg plus ABC/3TC 600 mg/300 mg once daily. RESULTS: Eighty-six percent (442/515) of patients completed 36 weeks on study; 80% (410/515) achieved HIV RNA <50 copies/mL (84% and 76% of patients with baseline HIV RNA of < and >or=100,000 copies/mL achieved this endpoint). Virologic failure (VF) was uncommon (3%); treatment-emergent major protease inhibitor and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations were detected in 0/15 and 4/15 patients, respectively. Median CD4+ cell increase was 171 (range, -176 to 718) cells/mm(3). Hyperbilirubinemia (13%), diarrhea (4%), nausea (2%), and rash (2%) were the most frequent drug-related Grade 2-4 adverse events. Few adverse events (3%) led to study discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Induction with ATV/RTV + ABC/3TC once daily provides an efficacious and well-tolerated regimen for the initial treatment of HIV.