Safety and efficacy of doravirine as first-line therapy in adults with HIV-1: week 192 results from the open-label extensions of the DRIVE-FORWARD and DRIVE-AHEAD phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: In two phase 3 trials for first-line therapy in adults with HIV-1, doravirine showed non-inferior efficacy, a favourable safety profile, and a superior lipid profile to darunavir and efavirenz through to 48 and 96 weeks. Here we report 192-week results from both studies. METHODS: DRIVE-FORWARD and DRIVE-AHEAD are multicentre, double-blind, randomised, active comparator-controlled, phase 3 trials of first-line antiretroviral treatment in adults with HIV-1. Eligible participants (aged ≥18 years) were naive to antiretroviral therapy, had plasma HIV-1 RNA 1000 copies per mL or more at screening, had no known resistance to any of the trial drugs, and had creatinine clearance 50 mL per min or more. DRIVE-FORWARD was conducted at 125 sites in 15 countries and compared doravirine (100 mg) with ritonavir-boosted darunavir (ritonavir [100 mg] and darunavir [800 mg]), each administered orally once daily with two nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [300 mg] and emtricitabine [200 mg] or abacavir sulfate [600 mg] and lamivudine [300 mg]). DRIVE-AHEAD was conducted at 126 sites in 23 countries and compared doravirine (100 mg), lamivudine (300 mg), and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (300 mg) with that of efavirenz (600 mg), emtricitabine (200 mg), and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (300 mg), all administered orally once daily. DRIVE-FORWARD enrolment was between Dec 1, 2014, and June 1, 2020, and DRIVE-AHEAD enrolment was between June 10, 2015, and Aug 10, 2020. After the 96-week double-blind phase, eligible participants could enter an open-label extension and either continue doravirine or switch from comparator to doravirine for an additional 96 weeks. Efficacy (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies per mL) and safety assessments (adverse events and changes in laboratory parameters) were pooled. The DRIVE-FORWARD and DRIVE-AHEAD trials were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02275780 and NCT02403674. FINDINGS: Of 1494 participants treated in the double-blind phase (1261 [84%] male and 233 [16%] female), 550 continued doravirine and 502 switched to doravirine in the extension. Using the FDA snapshot approach, HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL was maintained in 457 (83%) of 550 participants who continued doravirine and 404 (80%) of 502 participants who switched to doravirine. Protocol-defined virological failure and development of resistance were low, occurring mainly before week 96. Two (<1%) of 550 participants who continued doravirine reported serious drug-related adverse events, and three (1%) who continued doravirine and one (<1%) of 502 who switched to doravirine discontinued due to drug-related adverse events. Participants continuing or switching to doravirine showed generally favourable lipid profiles, little weight gain, and small decreases in estimated glomerular filtration rates, with no discontinuations due to increased creatinine or renal adverse events. INTERPRETATION: Favourable efficacy and safety profiles for doravirine at week 96 were maintained through to week 192 in participants who continued or switched to doravirine, supporting use of doravirine for long-term first-line HIV-1 treatment and for virologically suppressed adults switching therapy. FUNDING: Merck Sharp & Dohme, a subsidiary of Merck & Co, Rahway, NJ, USA.

Impact of etravirine on hospitalization rate between 2005 and 2011 among heavily treated HIV-1-infected individuals on failing regimens.

BACKGROUND: Etravirine (ETR), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) available in France since 2006, is indicated for antiretroviral-experienced HIV-infected adults, in combination with a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI). To assess its clinical impact in routine care, we compared hospitalization rates according to ETR + PI prescription or not, among heavily treated HIV-1 infected individuals on failing regimens between 2005 and 2011. METHODS: From the French Hospital Database on HIV (ANRS CO4), we selected heavily treated individuals (prior exposure to at least 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), 2PI and 1 NNRTI) with viral load (VL) > 50 copies/mL who started a new antiretroviral (ARV) regimen between 2005 and 2011. Using an intention-to-continue-treatment approach, hospitalization rates were calculated for the individuals who received ETR + PI, during the months after initiating ETR + PI (ETR + PI) or for the individuals who received ETR + PI, in the months before ETR + PI initiation and for the individuals who never received ETR + PI (no ETR + PI). hospitalization from an AIDS-defining cause and hospitalization from a non-AIDS defining cause rates were also calculated. Poisson regression models were used to compare the incidences between the two groups, with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of 3884 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 838 (21.6%) received ETR + PI. During 13,986 person-years (P-Y) of follow-up, there were 2484 hospitalizations in 956 individuals. The hospitalization rates per 1000 P-Y were 169.0 among individuals exposed to ETR + PI and 179.3 among those not exposed to ETR + PI. After adjustment, the respective hospitalization rates were 148.8 and 186.7 per 1000 P-Y, with an estimated relative risk of 0.80 (95%CI: 0.71-0.90), AIDS hospitalization rates were 11.5 and 22.7 per 1000 P-Y, with an estimated relative risk of 0.51(95%CI: 0.39-0.66) and non-AIDS hospitalization rates were 139.5 and 152.2 per 1000 P-Y, with an estimated relative risk of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.80-1.05). CONCLUSIONS: Between 2005 and 2011, access to ETR + PI was associated with a 20% reduction in the hospitalization rate among heavily treated HIV-1-infected individuals. This reduction was mainly due to a reduction in the AIDS hospitalization rate.

Long-term efficacy and safety of etravirine-containing regimens in a real-life cohort of treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: Etravirine (ETR) was approved in France in September 2008 and is used in combination with a boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) and other anti-retrovirals (ART) in HIV-infected pre-treated patients. This study aimed to report in a real-life setting the efficacy and tolerability of ETR-based regimens and factors associated with virological response. METHODS: The study population included all treatment-experienced patients who initiated an ETR-based regimen between September 2008 and July 2013 from the French Dat'AIDS cohort. Analyses were performed in ART-experienced patients starting ETR after virological failure (VF) or as a maintenance therapy (MT), with or without bPI. RESULTS: A total of 2006 patients (VF, n = 1014 (51%); MT, n = 992 (49%)) were included. At M12, the proportion of patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/ml was 71.7% (72.0% and 71.1% with or without bPI) in the VF group and 90.5% (85.0% and 92.3% with or without bPI) in the MT group, without significant differences regarding the use of bPI. ETR was discontinued in 8.8% of patients for adverse events in 23.9% of cases (21.5% in VF, 29.5% in MT), treatment failure in 15.2% (16.2% in VF, 7.4% in MT) or simplification in 5.4% (4.6% in VF, 7.4% in MT). In the VF group, factors associated with virological response were a longer duration of HIV infection (OR = 2.7; p < 0.001) and baseline HIV RNA < 5 log10 copies/mL (OR = 2.1; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study shows that in ART-experienced patients ETR is well tolerated with a high efficacy when combined with other active drugs, even when the regimen does not include a bPI.

Efficacy and tolerability of Etravirine in HIV-1 adult patients: Results of a large French prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: IEtravirine (ETR) was approved in France in Sept 2008, to be used in combination with a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) and others antiretrovirals (ARV) in HIV-infected pre-treated patients. OBJECTIVES: To describe in a real life setting efficacy and tolerability of ETR-including regimen and factors associated with virologic response. METHOD: In the French DatAIDS cohort including 18,647 patients, we selected patients who initiated an ETR-including regimen between September 2008 and July 2013. Demographic data and clinico-biological data were collected from the standardized electronic medical record Nadis(®). Analyses were done in patients starting ETR and sub-analyses were performed in pre-treated patients starting ETR for virologic failure (VF) or maintenance (MT) therapy, with or without bPI. RESULTS: 2083 patients (ARV-naïve n=77, VF n=1014, MT n=992) were included: median age 47 years, 73.3% male, median duration of HIV infection 15.7 years, CDC stage C 38.7%, HBV/HCV co-infection 25.7%. In pre-treated patients, 75.5% previously received NNRTIs (median duration on EFV and NVP of 480 and 396 days, respectively), 94.3% bPIs, 30.8% raltegravir (RAL) and 19.4% enfuvirtide. The most frequent ARVs associated with ETR were two NRTIs in 37.2% of the cases (21.9% in VF, 52.9% in MT), 1 bPI+RAL in 10.1% (13.5% in VF, 6.6% in MT), RAL in 6.2% (2% in VF, 10.5% in MT). Median duration on ETR was 3.7 and 2.2 years in the VF and MT group, respectively. In the VF group, HIV RNA was <50 c/ml in 71.7% (71.1% without bPI, 72% with bPI) of the patients at M12, 72.8% (71% without bPI, 73.3% with bPI) of the patients at M24. In the MT group, HIV RNA was<50 c/ml in 90.5% of the patients at M12 and 93.1% at M24. ETR was discontinued in 8.8% of the patients (12.8% in VF, 5.4% in MT) for adverse events in 23.9% of cases (21.5% in VF, 29.5% in MT), treatment failure in 15.2% (16.2% in VF, 7.4% in MT) or simplification in 5.4% (4.6% in VF, 7.4% in MT). In the VF group, factors associated with virologic failure in multivariate analysis were a longer duration of HIV infection (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.7-4.0) and baseline HIV RNA >5 log10 c/ml (OR: 2.0; 95% CI 1.3-3.2) but not the association with a bPI. CONCLUSION: This large study shows that in ARV-pre-treated patients ETR is well tolerated with a high efficacy when combined with other active drugs, even when the regimen does not include a bPI.

Impact of etravirine use on hospitalization rates among highly pre-treated failing HIV-1 infected individuals between 2005 and 2011.

INTRODUCTION: Etravirine (ETR), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor available in France since 2006, is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in combination with a ritonavir boosted protease inhibitor (PI) in antiretroviral treatment-experienced adult patients. To assess its impact in routine clinical care, our objective was to compare hospitalization rates in highly pre-treated failing HIV-1 infected individuals between 2005 and 2011 depending on whether or not they received ETR+PI. METHODS: From the French Hospital Database on HIV (ANRS CO4), we selected highly pre-treated individuals (prior exposure to at least 2NRTI, 2PI and 1 NNRTI) with a viral load (VL)>50 copies/mL initiating a new regimen between 2005 and 2011. Hospitalization rates were calculated for each calendar month and depending on whether patients never received ETR+PI at any time or during months before initiating ETR+PI (no ETR+PI) or during months after initiating ETR+PI (ETR+PI), using an intention to continue treatment approach. Poisson regression models were used to compare incidence between the two groups, after adjustment for potential confounders (age, transmission group, origin, AIDS, PCP prophylaxis, viral load, CD4, nb of previous ARV). RESULTS: Overall 3884 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. Among them 838 (21.6%) received ETR+PI at least once. Among all enrolled patients, 35.8% had CD4 <200/mm(3), 17.5% had VL >100,000 copies/ml, 42.8% had had an AIDS event and 47.8% had received more than 10 different antiretroviral drugs. There were 2484 hospitalizations in 808 individuals over 13,986 patient-years. The hospitalization rates for 1000 P-Y were 169.0 for the ETR+PI group and 179.3 for the no ETR+PI group. After adjustment, the corresponding figures were 144.8 for 1000 P-Y and 192.7 for 1000 P-Y respectively, with a relative risk estimated as 0.75 (95% CI 0.67-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Access to ETR+PI between 2005 and 2011 was associated with a 25% reduction in the hospitalization rate among highly pre-treated failing HIV-1 infected individuals.

Successful medical treatment of Candida albicans in mechanical prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis is particularly serious, and is usually a result of nosocomial candidaemia. This report describes a patient with Candida albicans prosthetic valve endocarditis in whom surgery was believed to be contraindicated. After 45 d of amphotericin B, treatment was continued with fluconazole daily with a follow-up of 16 months, with no recurrent or adverse effects.