HIV Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about HIV, including details on human immunodeficiency virus, testing, treatment, prevention, vaccines, aids.

Interruption of enfuvirtide in HIV-1 infected adults with incomplete viral suppression on an enfuvirtide-based regimen.

Deeks SG, Lu J, Hoh R, Neilands TB, Beatty G, Huang W, Liegler T, Hunt P, Martin JN, Kuritzkes DR

University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. sdeeks@php.ucsf.edu

Many antiretroviral drugs continue to exert an anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) benefit in the presence of drug resistance mutations. The degree to which enfuvirtide exerts continued antiviral activity in the presence of incomplete viral suppression has not been defined. To address this question, 25 subjects interrupted enfuvirtide while remaining on a stable background regimen. Enfuvirtide interruption was associated with an immediate but limited increase in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels. Enfuvirtide resistance waned rapidly in the absence of drug pressure and was no longer detectable by week 16 in most individuals. These data indicate that enfuvirtide has measurable antiviral activity in the setting of incomplete viral suppression. Although enfuvirtide resistance mutations are associated with significant fitness defects in vivo, the clinical significance of these mutations remains undefined.

Published 5 January 2007 in J Infect Dis, 195(3): 387-91.
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