Efficacy of Atazanavir/Ritonavir Monotherapy as Maintenance in Patients With Viral Suppression

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: HIV-1 Infection

Interventions: Drug: Atazanavir/ritonavir monotherapy

Registration Number: NCT01511809

Lead Sponsor: IRCCS San Raffaele

Brief Summary: The study will assess whether Atazanavir/ritonavir monotherapy provides a non-inferior proportion of virological efficacy with respect to ATV/RTV + 2 NRTIs in patients with stable suppressed viremia and no prior virologic failures.

Detailed Description: This is a randomised (1:1), multicentre, comparative, parallel-group, prospective, open label, non-inferiority controlled clinical trial.

Enrolled patients, taking an ATV/r based HAART and with stable HIV-RNA \< 50c/ml (24 weeks), will be randomized to:

* continue the same regimen ATV/RTV 300mg/100mg OD plus 2 NRTIs (according to the specific dosing schedule) as backbone (HAART arm) with ATV/r

* or simplify therapy to ATV/RTV 300mg/100mg OD as monotherapy (Monotherapy arm) with ATV/r The study follow up will be 96 weeks after randomization and primary objective will be evaluated at week 48.

Patients will be followed every 4 weeks for the first 16 weeks, and then every 8 weeks until week 48, then every 12 weeks until week 96 or discontinuation ; at each visit the following evaluations will be performed:

* clinical assessment.

* routine laboratory tests (hematological tests and hematochemistry) including creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, gammaGT; urine analysis, lipid profile, level of HIV-RNA and CD4 cell counts.

During follow-up, at randomization, week 48, week 96 or discontinuation, patients will additionally undergo:

* Fat redistribution evaluation by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

* Vertebral and femoral bone mineral density evaluation by DEXA.

* ECG;

* Glicate haemoglobin.

* Adherence assessment (questionnaire and/or pills counts).

* Neurocognitive evaluation \[HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs) evaluated by validated neuropsychological tests\].

In case of viral rebound (defined as 2 consecutive measurement of HIV-RNA \> 50 c/ml) patients will be immediately contacted in order to perform genotypic tests. Furthermore a plasma PK analysis will also be performed. Any patients with virological rebound will be selected for a reintensification therapy with NRTIs and if not suppressed after 12 weeks they will be discontinued.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 117

Inclusion Criteria

HIV infected patients
age > 18 years
On treatment with ATV/r plus 2 NRTIs for at least 48 weeks
Virological suppression (HIV-RNA<50 c/ml) by at least 24 weeks with ATV/r plus 2 NRTIs
No virologic failure after the initiation of the first antiretroviral therapy. Previous treatment changes due to toxicity or treatment simplifications will be permitted only if occurred with documented virological suppression.
CD4 cells nadir >100 cells/µL
PPI and H2-receptor antagonists as follows: the proton-pump inhibitors should not be used; if H2-receptor antagonists are co-administered, a dose equivalent to famotidine 20 mg BID should not be exceeded.

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnancy and breast feeding women
AIDS defining events
Evidence of active HBV infection (HBsAg positive)
Previous virological failure
History of resistance to ATV
Use of contraindicated medications

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Atazanavir/ritonavir monotherapy	Atazanavir/ritonavir monotherapy	Patients will simplify therapy to ATV/RTV 300mg/100mg OD as monotherapy

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of Patients With Treatment Failure (TF)	Up to week 48	Proportion of patients with treatment failure defined as having one of the following events: confirmed viral rebound (CVR) or treatment discontinuation for any cause. CVR was established when 2 consecutive viral load values (HIV-1 RNA)\>50 copies/mL occurred within 2 weeks during follow-up. In case of CVR, patients treated with atazanavir/ritonavir monotherapy had to re-introduce their previous 2NRTIs (re-intensification) and, if not suppressed (HIV-1 RNA \<50 copies /ml) after 12 weeks, discontinued from the study. Re-intensification was considered as treatment failure in the primary analysis conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle (intention-to-treat analysis with re-intensification equal failure, ITT=Failure) while it was not in the secondary analysis (intention-to-treat analysis with re-intensification equal success, ITT=Success).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Efficacy and Safety	week 96	Proportion of pts with confirmed virological and treatment failure at w96. Change in CD4 cell counts. Occurrence of viral resistance to atazanavir in pts with confirmed virologic failure. Proportion of pts with adverse events, with ≥grade 2 adverse events or abnormal laboratory tests, proportion of pts with side effects leading to discontinuation. Body fat redistribution and vertebral and femoral bone mineral density. Adherence changes; changes in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Difference in levels of activated Tcells and pro-inflammatory cytokines between treatment groups.