Long-term safety and efficacy of a once-daily regimen of emtricitabine, didanosine, and efavirenz in HIV-infected, therapy-naive children and adolescents: Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol P1021.
Journal Article
BACKGROUND: Compliance with complex antiretroviral therapy regimens is a problem for HIV-1-infected children and their families. Simple, safe, and effective regimens are important for long-term therapeutic success. METHODS: A novel, once-daily dosing regimen of 3 antiretroviral drugs, emtricitabine, didanosine, and efavirenz, was tested in 37 therapy-naive HIV-infected children and adolescents between 3 and 21 years of age (inclusive). Subjects were followed for > or = 96 weeks on an intention-to-treat basis. Signs, symptoms, plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load, CD4 counts, and safety laboratories were followed regularly. End points were the proportion of subjects with plasma HIV < 400 or 50 HIV copies per mL and safety and tolerability of the regimen. RESULTS: Thirty-seven subjects enrolled at 16 sites. Two subjects with rashes during the first 2 weeks of therapy were the only adverse events leading to study-drug discontinuation. Other early (before protocol-scheduled conclusion) study discontinuations included 3 viral failures on treatment and 5 patients who stopped therapy for apparently nonmedical reasons. Possible drug-related adverse events included 1 grade 4 low-glucose and 5 varied grade 3 events. There were no deaths. Virologic outcomes demonstrated that 32 (85%) of 37 subjects achieved viral suppression to < 400 RNA copies per mL, and 26 (72%) of 37 subjects maintained sustained suppression at < 50 copies per mL through week 96. The median baseline CD4 count was 310 per microL (17%), which increased at week 96 by a median of +329 cells per microL (by +18% CD4). Pharmacokinetic results were as predicted for emtricitabine, didanosine, and efavirenz capsules, whereas efavirenz concentrations in children receiving efavirenz oral solution were lower than anticipated, requiring a dose escalation after the planned assessment point. CONCLUSIONS: A once-daily regimen of emtricitabine, didanosine, and efavirenz proved to be safe and tolerable and demonstrated good immunologic and virologic efficacy in this 2-year study.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- McKinney, RE; Rodman, J; Hu, C; Britto, P; Hughes, M; Smith, ME; Serchuck, LK; Kraimer, J; Ortiz, AA; Flynn, P; Yogev, R; Spector, S; Draper, L; Tran, P; Scites, M; Dickover, R; Weinberg, A; Cunningham, C; Abrams, E; Blum, MR; Chittick, GE; Reynolds, L; Rathore, M; Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol P1021 Study Team,
Published Date
- August 2007
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 120 / 2
Start / End Page
- e416 - e423
PubMed ID
- 17646352
Pubmed Central ID
- 17646352
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1098-4275
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1542/peds.2006-0925
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States