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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Early clinical experience with atazanavir in treatment-experienced patients

Sarangapany Jeganathan A B , Don Smith A and Julian Gold A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Albion Street Centre, 150–154, Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: sarangapanyj@sesahs.nsw.gov.au

Sexual Health 3(1) 33-35 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH05022
Submitted: 23 April 2005  Accepted: 19 October 2005   Published: 20 February 2006

Abstract

Background: Atazanavir (ATV) is a newly approved protease inhibitor following successful clinical trials in naive and treatment-experienced patients. We describe early experience with ATV in treatment-experienced patients attending a single ambulatory care clinic in Sydney. Methods: Patients commencing ATV between February 2003 and May 2004 in an expanded access program were identified from the clinic pharmacy’s database. Data were retrospectively collected from patients’ medical records. Results: Data from 30 patients were analysed. Reasons for commencing ATV were: virological failure in six patients (20%); toxicity to previous regimen in 13 patients (43%); simplification strategy in two patients (7%); and recommencing therapy in nine patients (30%) following treatment interruption. Six patients (20%) discontinued ATV. One patient discontinued ATV due to virological failure, two patients discontinued due to toxicity to concomitant antiretrovirals, two as a result of the patient’s choice and one as a result of the physician’s decision. Eighteen patients commenced ATV in combination therapy with a detectable viral load (VL). From a baseline VL of 4.3 ± 1.1 log10 copies mL–1, 15 (83%) had >1.0 log decrease in VL with 11 (61%) achieving viral suppression (<50 copies mL–1). Three (16%) failures were recorded in this group. Twelve subjects commenced ATV with an undetectable VL. One failure was recorded in this group. Bilirubin increased by 22.7 μmol L–1 (P < 0.001), with significant decreases in cholesterol (1.4 mmol L–1, P = 0.01) and triglycerides (1.5 mmol L–1, P = 0.01) in 12 patients on ritonavir-boosted ATV. Conclusion: This audit found ATV to be safe, well tolerated and had good potency in treatment-experienced patients. However caution should be exercised in switching to ATV in heavily pre-treated patients.

Additional keywords: antiretroviral, HIV, salvage therapy, treatment-experienced patients.


Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the doctors, nurses and clients who participated in the Expanded Access Program.


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