Atazanavir Plus Ritonavir or Efavirenz as Part of a 3-Drug Regimen for Initial Treatment of HIV-1: A Randomized Trial

Treatment guidelines for initial HIV-1 therapy recommend 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) with a non-NRTI (NNRTI), ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor, or integrase inhibitor (1, 2). Abacavir–lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF)–emtricitabine are efficacious, once-daily NRTIs (3–5). The preferred NNRTI is efavirenz, and atazanavir plus ritonavir is 1 of the preferred protease inhibitors (1, 6, 7). AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Study A5202 compared efficacy, safety, and tolerability of abacavir–lamivudine or tenofovir DF–emtricitabine with atazanavir plus ritonavir or efavirenz. After scheduled interim data review, the data and safety monitoring board noted inferior virologic efficacy of abacavir–lamivudine compared with tenofovir DF–emtricitabine among patients with HIV-1 RNA levels of 100 000 copies/mL or more at screening (8). We now report the final results of the primary study objectives comparing atazanavir plus ritonavir against efavirenz.