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A potential new once-daily HIV
treatment is as safe and effective as traditional combination therapies,
according to two clinical trials reported on Friday. Researchers tested Quad -
an experimental pill made by Gilead Sciences and comprising emtricitabine
(FTC), tenofovir (TDF), elvitegravir, and a booster called cobicistat - against
two other treatment combinations.
In the first study, Quad was matched
against the three-in-one pill Atripla, which has been a standard HIV therapy
since 2006. After 48 weeks, 88 percent of patients taking Quad had undetectable
viral loads, compared with 84 percent of Atripla patients. Side effects were
infrequent among the North American trial’s 700 participants. Mild nausea was
the most common adverse event for Quad patients, and the Atripla group was more
likely to experience dizziness, unusual dreams or insomnia, and skin rashes.
The second trial compared Quad with
a widely recommended therapy, ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, FTC, and TDF. After
48 weeks, 90 percent taking Quad had undetectable viral loads, compared with 87
percent of those who took the other combination. Just 3.7 percent of patients
taking Quad had to stop because of side effects, compared with 5.1 percent of
those taking the other drug combination. However, reported kidney complications
were relatively higher in the Quad group. The trial involved 708 patients at
study sites in Australia, North America, and Europe.
In May, a Food and Drug Advisory
panel recommended the agency approve Quad for previously untreated adult
patients with HIV. The agency’s decision is expected by August.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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