Impact of MK-0518 (Raltegravir) Intensification on HIV-1 Viral Latency in Patients With Previous Complete Viral Suppression

Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital69 enrolled

Overview

An intensification with the HIV-1 integrase inhibitor Raltegravir (RAL) of a stable HAART regimen with persistent HIV-1 viral suppression could increase the slope of decay of the HIV-1 latent reservoir.

While highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces plasma HIV-1 levels to below the limits of detection with standard assays, replication-competent virus persist in a stable, latent reservoir in resting CD4+ T cells. So, there is a rapid resumption in plasma viremia when therapy is interrupted. In addition to cellular reservoir, other pharmacologically privileged areas such as the central nervous system and the genital tract might act as additional sources of residual virus in patients with undetectable levels of plasma HIV-1 RNA. There is great current interest in strategies for depleting and eliminating this reservoir. The antiviral potency of current regimens emerges as an important determinant of complete viral control. In certain patients, the latent reservoir decay can be hastened with treatment intensification. An intensification with the HIV-1 integrase inhibitor Raltegravir (RAL) of a stable HAART regimen with persistent HIV-1 viral suppression could increase the slope of decay of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. This could provide further insight into this area, decrease the size of latent reservoir, and translate into clinical benefits for patients being simplified to maintenance monotherapy with RAL or in the HIV-1 rebound kinetics and slope after a programmed treatment interruption.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

HIV Infections

Interventions

MK-0518 400mg twice a dayDRUG

Raltegravir, MK-0518

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 99 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. HIV-1 infected adults (+18 years old). 2. Complete virological suppression (\<50 copies/mL) for += 12 months, including at least 3 times during the last year. 3. Patients on HAART regimen including a PI or an NNRTI and at least two nucleotide inhibitors. 4. Voluntary written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy, or fertile women willing to be pregnant. 2. Active substance abuse or major psychiatric disease. 3. Presence of drug-related mutations or any polymorphism or mutation associated to MK-0518 resistance prior to first HAART (only if genotype is available).

Locations (3)

Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol

Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Barcelona, Spain

Hospital Clínic I Provinical de Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Quantification of integrated and unintegrated viral HIV-1 DNA in PBMCs

Time frame: Basal, week 12, week 24 and week 48

Secondary Outcomes

Quantification of residual HIV-1 (using an ultrasensitive RT-PCR assay with a lower limit of quantification of 5 copies/mL)

Time frame: Basal, week 1, week 2, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36 and week 48

Blips during the study (> 50 copies/mL, preceded and followed by determinations < 50 copies/mL in previous and posterior controls)

Time frame: Basal, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36 and week 48

Lymphocyte activation marker CD8+HLADR+CD38+

Time frame: Basal, week 2, week 4, week 12, week 24 and week 48.

Raltegravir plasma trough concentration.

Time frame: Week 12, week 24 and week 48

Level of apoptosis in CD4 and CD8 T cells.

Time frame: Week 48 and week 60

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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