“Quad” Regimen For HIV Treatment Shows Promising Results
Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced, after 24 weeks of a Phase 2 clinical trial, that its “Quad” regimen for the treatment of HIV is comparable in efficacy with another popular combination therapy known as Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir).
Quad therapy, which is an integrase inhibitor-based treatment, targets the action of an enzyme necessary for HIV to replicate itself. Like Atripla, Quad therapy simplifies dosing by combining different drugs into a single pill, making adherence to a therapeutic regimen easier for HIV patients.
The ongoing study compared the investigational once-daily, fixed-dose regimen of four medications: elvitegravir, GS 9350, and Truvada (a combination of the two drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir).
Elvitegravir is Gilead’s investigational integrase inhibitor, which blocks the viral enzyme from entering into the host cell’s DNA.
GS 9350 is Gilead’s investigational “boosting” agent, meaning its purpose is to increase blood levels of other antiretrovrial medicines, including elvitegravir.
Truvada is a fixed dose combination of two antiretroviral drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine.
Investigators compared the results of the Quad therapy to Atripla, a regimen that combines three antiretroviral medications.
The randomized trial includes 71 adults who never underwent antiretroviral therapy whose viral load, or amount of virus in the bloodstream, is being studied over 48 weeks. They were required to have a viral load of at least 5,000 copies/mL of blood.
After 24 weeks of treatment, the results showed Quad therapy to be no less effective than Atripla. Patients achieved a promising viral load of less than 50 copies/mL of blood.
One part of the Quad therapy, the investigational “boosting” agent GS 9350, is also being evaluated as a stand-alone agent for use with other antiretrovirals.
Full clinical results of the 48 week trial are expected by early 2010.
For more information, please see Gilead’s press release. To learn more about the trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
Related Articles:
- Conference On Retroviruses And Opportunistic Infections Highlights Latest HIV/AIDS Research
- Study Identifies Viread And Emtriva As The Preferred Initial Treatment For HIV Patients
- Study Shows Isentress Is As Effective As Sustiva For First-Line Treatment Of HIV
- New HIV Drug Shows Promising Results
- Early Antiretroviral Therapy Slows Down Progression Of AIDS In Certain Individuals
Leave a comment