Efficacy and safety of once-daily maraviroc plus ritonavir-boosted darunavir in pretreated HIV-infected patients in a real-life setting

Objectives Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-sparing regimens may be needed in patients with NRTI toxicity. Maraviroc (MVC) plus ritonavir-boosted darunavir (DRV-r) or atazanavir is associated with slightly lower response rates than triple therapy in drug-naive patients. No information is available on these combinations in pretreated patients. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of MVC plus DRV/r once-daily (qd) in HIV-infected pretreated patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study including patients starting MVC 150 mg plus DRV/r 800/100 mg qd, with CCR5 tropism and no resistance mutations for DRV/r, was performed. The primary efficacy endpoint was the achievement of plasma HIV RNA < 50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL after 48 weeks. The frequency of serious adverse effects was investigated. Results Sixty patients were recruited to the study, of whom 48 (80%) had HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at baseline. Reasons for starting MVC plus DRV/r were: adverse effects in 38 individuals (63%), simplification in 15 (25%) and virological failure in seven (12%). The main analysis (intention to treat, noncompleter = failure) showed that 47 patients (78%) achieved HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at 48 weeks (paired comparison with baseline, P = 1.0). On-treatment analysis showed that 42 (86%) of 49 patients presented HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at 48 weeks (paired comparison with baseline, P = 1.0). Median (interquartile range) CD4 cell counts increased from 491 (301-729) to 561 (367-793) cells/L at 48 weeks (P = 0.013). Only one patient discontinued therapy because of adverse effects. Conclusions Most individuals starting MVC plus DRV/r qd because of simplification or adverse effects maintained HIV suppression after 48 weeks of follow-up.