Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Darunavir/Ritonavir (DRV/r), Etravirine (ETV) and Raltegravir (MK-0518) in HIV Patients With Resistant Viruses

Methods: A phase II pilot, prospective, open label, single arm multicentric clinical trial assessing a darunavir/ritonavir, etravirine and MK-0518-containing regimen, if possible associated to an optimized background regimen that may include NRTIs and enfuvirtide, in HIV-1 infected patients failing combination antiretroviral therapy with multi-resistant viruses.

Treatment strategy: Patients will receive raltegravir (MK-0518), darunavir/ritonavir (TMC114/r) and etravirine (TMC125) and if possible an optimized background therapy.

• raltegravir (MK-0518) (400 mg x 2/d = one 400 mg pill twice daily)
• darunavir (600 mg x 2/d= two 300 mg pills twice daily with meal)
• ritonavir (100 mg x 2/d = one 100 mg pill twice daily with meal)
• etravirine (200 mg x 2/d = two 100 mg pills twice daily with meal)
• if possible an optimized background therapy: may include NRTI(s) and enfuvirtide but not nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs). NRTIs choice is left to the clinician's discretion. Enfuvirtide is highly recommended in enfuvirtide-naive patients but is left to the clinician.

Main outcome: proportion of patients with HIV RNA levels of less than 50 copies/ml in an intent to treat analysis at W24.

Secondary outcomes: proportions of patients with HIV RNA levels of less than 50 copies/ml at week 48, with HIV RNA levels of less than 400 copies/ml at week 24 and 48; HIV RNA level evolution between baseline and week 48; HIV proviral DNA and 2LTR circle HIV DNA between baseline and week 48; number and type of resistance mutations in case of virologic failure occurrence; CD4 lymphocyte count and proportion evolution between baseline and week 48; HIV infection progression; frequency of the study regimen modifications and interruption; study regimen tolerance; study regimen adherence; association between study drugs' minimum concentrations at week 4 and virologic success at week 24; evolution of pharmacokinetic parameters of study drugs between week 1 and week 4 in the Pharmacokinetic substudy.

Sample size: 103 patients

Enrollment period: 24 weeks

Patient's participation duration: 52 weeks

An extended follow-up (from week 52 to week 96) has been added in April 2008.

Inclusion criteria

• Age: 18 years and above
• Documented HIV-1 infection.
• History of virological failure on NNRTIs (patients with a history of toxicity to nevirapine and efavirenz may be enrolled in this study).
• On a combination antiretroviral therapy for at least 8 weeks prior to the screening visit (if on tipranavir, or enfuvirtide these drugs should have been introduced more than 8 weeks before the screening visit).
• Patient naive to darunavir, etravirine and to integrase inhibitors
• Plasma viral load at screening visit over 1000 copies/ml, (no CD4 restriction).
• Genotypic resistance testing at the screening visit:

• Protease inhibitor mutations: over or equal to 3 primary protease inhibitor mutations among: D30N, V32I, L33F, M46I/L, I47A/V, G48V, I50L/V, I54M, L76V, V82A/F/L/T/S, I84V, N88S and L90M (IAS list 2006) but below or equal to 3 mutations among the following: V11I, V32I, L33F, I47V, I50V, I54L/M, G73S, L76V, I84V et L89V (virus sensitivity to darunavir/ritonavir).
• Reverse transcriptase mutations: over or equal to 3 NRTI mutations (among IAS list) and below or equal to 3 mutations among: A98G, L100I, K101Q/P/E, K103H/N/S/T, V106A/M, V108I, E138G/K/Q, V179D/E/F/G/I, Y181C/I/V/C/H/L, Y188C/H/L, G190A/C/E/Q/S, P225H, F227C/L, M230I/L, P236L, K238N/T and Y318F (virus sensitivity to etravirine)

Exclusion criteria

• Non effective barrier contraception in women of child bearing potential
• Pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding
• Opportunistic infection at the acute phase
• Decompensated cirrhosis (stage B or C of Child-Pugh score)
• Malignancy requiring chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• Contraindicated medications being taken by the patient (listed in protocol)
• Allergy to the active substances and expedients of darunavir, etravirine and raltegravir.
• Haemoglobin < 7g/dl, neutrophil cell count < 500/mm3, platelets < 50,000/mm3, creatinine clearance < 50 ml/mn, P. alkaline, AST, ALT or total bilirubin over or equal to 3 times normal values.
• Patients receiving experimental agents with an exclusion period for participation in other studies applicable at the screening visit of the current study.