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New fixed-dose combination pills measure up to Atripla - corrected version*
Gus Cairns, 2012-11-20 12:30:00

Several studies, or updates of studies, comparing newer against older drug regimens were presented at the Eleventh International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection last week.

Amongst them were the 48-week results from the STAR study, an open-label study comparing the new-generation NNRTI (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor) drug, rilpivirine, with the first-generation NNRTI efavirenz, not as themselves, but in their one-pill-once-a-day guises as Atripla (tenofovir/FTC plus efavirenz) and Eviplera (tenofovir/FTC plus rilpivirine; called Complera in the US).

This is the first time these two one-pill, fixed-dose combinations have been directly compared with each other.

Also presented were the 96-week results of two placebo-controlled studies comparing Gilead’s new ‘Quad’ pill Stribild against either Atripla or tenofovir/FTC (Truvada) and ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV/r: Reyataz/Norvir). Stribild contains tenofovir and FTC and the integrase inhibitor elvitegravir plus cobicistat, a drug developed by manufacturers Gilead as an alternative to ritonavir and which, like ritonavir, boosts the blood levels of elvitegravir to effective levels rather than acting against HIV itself.

Source:1