Prezista Found To Be Non-inferior To Lopinavir

A 96-week study results published in AIDS (the official journal of the International AIDS Society) has shown that Prezista (darunavir) was found to be non-inferior to lopinavir/RITONAVIR.

The study, known as ARTEMIS is an international ongoing, randomized, controlled, open-label non-inferiority Phase 3 trial. The study compared the efficacy and safety of the protease inhibitors (PIs) darunavir/r and lopinavir/r in treatment-naive adults with HIV.

The study showed that 79% of treatment-naive HIV-1 infected adults taking Prezista (darunavir) 800mg (two 400 mg tablets) with 100mg ritonavir once daily reached an undetectable viral load (<50 copies/mL). The result was compared with 71% of patients taking lopinavir/ritonavir 800mg/200mg once daily (or 400mg/100mg twice daily), both with a fixed dose of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

Mark Nelson, consultant physician and deputy director of HIV Research at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, said: “This study offers the medical community long-term efficacy and safety data for once daily darunavir in treatment-naive adult patients.”

Darunavir is developed by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals. Tibotec, a division of Janssen-Cilag, is responsible for marketing the brand in the UK and Europe.