Initial HAART With a PI Versus a NNRTI: Discrepancies Between Direct and Indirect Meta-Analyses

Roger Chou of Oregon Health and Science University and colleagues reviewed 12 trials over 24 weeks comparing non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based highly active antiretroviral treatment, which can sometimes be administered once daily, with protease inhibitor-based HAART, which must be taken more frequently, in HIV-positive people who had little or no previous antiretroviral exposure (Chou et al., Lancet, 10/28). The study found that NNRTI-based treatment regimens were more effective at decreasing viral load than PI-based regimens and that they were as effective as PI-based regimens in fighting disease progression. In addition, the study found that similar numbers of HIV-positive people in both treatment groups stopped taking HAART because of adverse effects associated with the medication. According to researchers, the findings favor NNRTIs as a more convenient HIV/AIDS treatment method that could boost patient adherence to the drug regimen (CQ HealthBeat, 10/27).

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