Once-a-day HAART for HIV infection

A prospective, uncontrolled, open-label, cohort pilot study was conducted t o evaluate the efficacy and safety of a once-a-day treatment with didanosin e plus lamivudine plus efavirenz. Seventy-three out-patients were enrolled, 21.9% of them received treatment through a directly observed therapeutic s cheme (DOT). At baseline the median HIV-RNA value was 93,470 copies/ml and the median CD4+ T-cell count was 275 cell/mu l. The median decrease of HIV- RNA was > 3.28 log (P < 0.05) and the median increase CD4+ T-cells was 132 cells/mu l (P = 0.003). Clinical signs of withdrawal syndrome were observed among several patients chronically assuming methadone, whose mean dose was raised from 41.4 to 64.5 mg/day (P = 0.003). Therapy was generally well ac cepted and tolerated. Eight patients interrupted therapy because of side ef fects. These preliminary data demonstrate the feasibility of a once-a-day t herapy of HIV infection.