Efficacy, Safety and Optimal Dose of VM-1500 in Comparison to Efavirenz Added to Standard-of-care Antiretroviral Therapy

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Signed Patient Information and Informed Consent Form. 2. Males and females, age ≥ 18 years. 3. HIV-1 infection, confirmed serologically in IFA or immunoblot analysis (or documented HIV-1 infection). 4. Clinically stable HIV infection (clinical stages 1 or 2 according to the WHO classification). 5. Indications (in the Investigator's opinion) for ART, according to the WHO Summary Guideline for use of antiretroviral drugs in HIV prevention and treatment (2013). 6. HIV-1 RNA plasma level ≥ 5 000 copies/ml at screening. 7. СD4+ Т-cells number \> 200 cells/mm3 at screening. 8. Laboratory parameters as follows: White blood cells ≥ 2900/mm3 (2,9 x 109 cells/l) Absolute neutrophils ≥ 1500/mm3 (1,5 x 109 cells/l) Platelets ≥ 100000/mm3 (100 x 109 cells/l) Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dl Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN AST and ALT≤ 2.5 x ULN Renal function GFR \> 60 ml/min Exclusion Criteria: 1. Primary HIV-1 resistance to ART. Viral resistance mutations are defined as any basic mutations of resistance to NNRTIs, according to the updated list of VIH-1 resistance mutations (International AIDS society, 2013), associated with drug resistance in any genotype. 2. History of antiretroviral therapy (ART), including for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV. 3. Acute hepatitis or hepatic cirrhosis of any etiology; anti-HCV antibodies or HBsAg at screening. 4. Signs of acute infection or positive test result for syphilis, hepatitis A, Toxoplasma gondii, cytomegalovirus, gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis during 30 days before screening. 5. Opportunistic infections of the Category C (Centers of Disease Control (CDC), 2008), excluding Kaposi's sarcoma not requiring systemic therapy. 6. History of tuberculosis of any localization, or tuberculosis at screening, according to x-ray examination. 7. History of malignant tumors (except basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or cervical carcinoma in situ, eliminated and cured ≥ 5 years ago).