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Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 2003 Dec;95(12):1152–1157.

Nevirapine plus efavirenz plus didanosine: a simple, safe, and effective once-daily regimen for patients with HIV infection.

Wilbert C Jordan 1, Ronald Jefferson 1, Francis Yemofio 1, Laurie Tolbert 1, Vivian Conlon 1, Harlon Carroll 1, D Christopher Green 1, Aaron Green 1, Rachel Green 1
PMCID: PMC2594848  PMID: 14717471

Abstract

Conventional highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection typically use nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and either a protease inhibitor (PI) or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). Because PI-based regimens are associated with significant long-term toxicity and adherence difficulty, there is a need for novel regimens that maximize combination treatment options. This 12-month, observational, cohort study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a novel three-drug HAART regimen. Drug treatment consisted of nevirapine (NVP), efavirenz (EFV), and didanosine (ddl). Twenty-six treatment-naive and -experienced HIV-1+ men and women were included in the study. Assessment consisted of CD4+ cell count, plasma HIV-1 RNA load, and adverse effects of study medications. After one year of therapy, 11/12 treatment-naive subjects (92%) and 8/9 treatment-experienced subjects (89%) had viral loads < 400 copies/mL. Both groups also had an excellent immune response. At one year, there was a mean increase of 438 CD4+ cells/mm3 among treatment-naive subjects and 367 cells/mm3 among treatment-experienced subjects. Treatment-limiting adverse effects occurred in 3/15 treatment-naive (20%) and 2/11 treatment-experienced (18%) subjects. These preliminary data suggest that the combination of NVP, EFV, and ddl is simple, safe, and effective.

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Selected References

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