Long-term effects of evolocumab in participants with HIV and dyslipidemia: results from the open-label extension period

Objectives: People with HIV (PWH) are at an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Suboptimal responses to statin therapy in PWH may result from antiretroviral therapies (ARTs). This open-label extension study aimed to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of evolocumab up to 52\u200aweeks in PWH. Design: This final analysis of a multinational, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial evaluated the effect of monthly subcutaneous evolocumab 420\u200amg on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) during the open-label period (OLP) following 24\u200aweeks of double-blind period in PWH with hypercholesterolemia/mixed dyslipidemia. All participants enrolled had elevated LDL-C or nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and were on stable maximally tolerated statin and stable ART. Methods: Efficacy was assessed by percentage change from baseline in LDL-C, triglycerides, and atherogenic lipoproteins. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were examined. Results: Of the 467 participants randomized in the double-blind period, 451 (96.6%) received at least one dose of evolocumab during the OLP (mean age of 56.4\u200ayears, 82.5% male, mean duration with HIV of 17.4\u200ayears). By the end of the 52-week OLP, the overall mean (SD) percentage change in LDL-C from baseline was -57.8% (22.8%). Evolocumab also reduced triglycerides, atherogenic lipid parameters (non-HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lipoprotein[a]), and increased HDL-C. TEAEs were similar between placebo and evolocumab during the OLP. Conclusion: Long-term administration of evolocumab lowered LDL-C and non-HDL-C, allowing more PWH to achieve recommended lipid goals with no serious adverse events. Trail registration: NCT02833844. Video abstract: http://links.lww.com/QAD/C441

Long-Term Benefits from Early Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation in HIV Infection

BACKGROUND: For people with HIV and CD4+ counts >500 cells/mm3, early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces serious AIDS and serious non-AIDS (SNA) risk compared with deferral of treatment until CD4+ counts are 500 cells/mm3, excess risk of AIDS and SNA associated with delaying treatment initiation was diminished after ART initiation, but persistent excess risk remained. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others.)

HEPATITIS C IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: BURDEN OF DISEASE

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Infection by hepatitis C virus is one of the leading causes of chronic hepatitis C and cause severe burden for patients, families and the health care system. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this research were to assess the severity of liver fibrosis, comorbidities and complications of hepatitis C virus; to examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL), productivity loss and resource use and costs in a sample of Brazilian chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study performed in genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C patients to assess disease burden in the Brazilian public health care system between November 2014 and March 2015. Patients were submitted to a liver transient elastography (FibroScan) to assess liver fibrosis and answered an interview composed by a questionnaire specifically developed for the study and three standardized questionnaires: EQ-5D-3L, HCV-PRO and WPAI:HepC. RESULTS: There were 313 subjects enrolled, with predominance of women (50.8%), caucasian/white (55.9%) and employed individuals (39.9%). Mean age was 56 (SD=10.4) years old. Moreover, 42.8% of patients who underwent FibroScan were cirrhotic; the most frequent comorbidity was cardiovascular disease (62.6%) and the most frequent complication was esophageal varices (54.5%). The results also showed that “pain and discomfort” was the most affected HRQoL dimension (55.0% of patients reported some problems) and that the mean HCV-PRO overall score was 69.1 (SD=24.2). Regarding productivity loss, the most affected WPAI:HepC component was daily activity (23.5%) and among employed patients, presenteeism was more frequent than absenteeism (18.5% vs 6.5%). The direct medical costs in this chronic hepatitis C sample was 12,305.72USD per patient in the 2 years study period; drug treatment costs represented 95.9% of this total. CONCLUSION: This study showed that most patients are cirrhotic, present high prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases and esophageal varices, reduced HRQoL mainly in terms of pain/discomfort, and work productivity impairment, especially presenteeism. Additionally, we demonstrated that hepatitis C virus imposes an economic burden on Brazilian Health Care System and that most of this cost is due to drug treatment

Raltegravir once daily or twice daily in previously untreated patients with HIV-1: a randomised, active-controlled, phase 3 non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND Twice-daily raltegravir with once-daily tenofovir-emtricitabine is an effective initial antiretroviral regimen for patients with HIV-1. On the basis of pharmacokinetic data suggesting efficacy of once-daily raltegravir and because adherence is often improved with once-daily dosing, we aimed to compare these dosing schedules. METHODS In our international, double-blind, randomised, phase 3 non-inferiority study, we enrolled antiretroviral-naive patients with HIV RNA loads of more than 5000 copies per mL and no baseline resistance to tenofovir or emtricitabine at 83 centres worldwide. We randomly allocated patients (1:1) by use of a computer-generated sequence to receive raltegravir once daily (two 400 mg tablets taken together every 24 h), or twice daily (one 400 mg tablet every 12 h), both in combination with once-daily co-formulated tenofovir 300 mg plus emtricitabine 150 mg. The primary outcome was virological response at 48 weeks (viral RNA loads <50 copies per mL) in patients who received at least one dose of study drug, counting non-completers as failure. We assessed non-inferiority in terms of the proportion of patients in both treatment groups who achieved the primary outcome, with a non-inferiority margin of -10%. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00745823. FINDINGS From Oct 15, 2008, to Nov 2, 2009, we randomly allocated 775 patients, of whom 382 (99%) of 386 patients in the once-daily group and 388 (99%) of 389 in the twice-daily group received at least one dose of study drug. At baseline, 304 (39%) of 770 treated patients had viral loads of more than 100,000 copies per mL and 188 (24%) had CD4 cell counts of fewer than 200 cells per μL. 318 (83%) of 382 patients in the once-daily group had virological response compared with 343 (89%) of 386 in the twice-daily group (difference -5·7%, 95% CI -10·7 to -0·83; p=0·044). Serious adverse events were reported in 26 (7%) of 382 once-daily recipients and 40 (10%) of 388 twice-daily recipients, and adverse events leading to discontinuation occurred in four (1%) patients in each group. INTERPRETATION Despite high response rates with both regimens, once-daily raltegravir cannot be recommended in place of twice-daily dosing. FUNDING Merck