Efficacy and safety of darunavir-ritonavir at week 48 in treatment-experienced patients with HIV-1 infection in POWER 1 and 2: a pooled subgroup analysis of data from two randomised trials.

BACKGROUND: The continuing, randomised, multinational, phase IIB POWER 1 and 2 studies aim to evaluate efficacy and safety of darunavir in combination with low-dose ritonavir in treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients. We did a pooled subgroup analysis to update results at week 48 for patients receiving the recommended dose of darunavir-ritonavir compared with those receiving other protease inhibitors (PIs). METHODS: After 24-week dose-finding phases and primary efficacy analyses, patients randomised to receive darunavir-ritonavir were given 600/100 mg twice daily, and patients receiving control PIs continued on assigned treatment into the longer-term, open-label phase; all patients continued on optimised background regimen. We assessed patients who had reached week 48 or discontinued earlier at the time of analysis; for the darunavir-ritonavir group, only patients who received 600/100 mg twice daily from baseline were included. Analyses were intention-to-treat. The POWER 2 study (TMC114-C202) is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00071097). FINDINGS: At week 48, 67 of 110 (61%) darunavir-ritonavir patients compared with 18 of 120 (15%) of control PI patients had viral load reductions of 1 log10 copies per mL or greater from baseline (primary endpoint; difference in response rates 46%, 95% CI 35%-57%, p<0.0001). Based on a logistic regression model including stratification factors (baseline number of primary PI mutations, use of enfuvirtide, baseline viral load) and study as covariates, the difference in response was 50% (odds ratio 11.72, 95% CI 5.75-23.89). In the darunavir-ritonavir group, rates of adverse events were mostly lower than or similar to those in the control group when corrected for treatment exposure. No unexpected safety concerns were identified. INTERPRETATION: Efficacy responses with darunavir-ritonavir 600/100 mg twice daily plus optimised background regimen were greater than those with control PI and were sustained to at least week 48, with favourable safety and tolerability in treatment-experienced patients. This regimen could expand the treatment options available for such patients.

Progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy: survival and risk factors of death.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical course and risk factors of death in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated patients with progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy (PML); to evaluate the efficacy of cidofovir in addition to HAART. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter cohort study of PML in HIV-1-infected patients. Diagnosis of PML was confirmed by histology or by positive polymerase chain reaction for JC virus (JCV) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or was made by typical radiologic and clinical findings. RESULTS: Thirty-five cases of PML were identified. The diagnosis was made by histology (9 cases), detection of JCV in CSF (17 cases), and by radiologic findings (9 cases). Upon manifestation of PML, 15/35 patients had never received HAART, and 11/35 were on HAART for >6 months (median 1126 days). In 9/35 cases, clinical manifestation of PML occurred within 6 months after initiation of HAART. All patients received HAART after PML diagnosis. After a median follow-up of 553 days (range 28-2694 days), the median survival time was not reached. In 12 patients who were treated concomitantly with cidofovir, cumulative survival was significantly shorter than in patients without cidofovir (P = 0.03). Patients in whom PML was diagnosed while on HAART demonstrated a trend toward a shorter survival than HAART-naive patients (P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: PML continues to occur in HIV-1-infected patients even when they are treated with HAART. Patients developing PML on HAART had a trend toward a shorter median survival compared with treatment-naive patients, and cidofovir therapy was not associated with improved survival in this cohort.