Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Trajectories in HIV-Infected Subjects Treated With Different Ritonavir-Boosted Protease Inhibitors and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate or Abacavir

Dolutegravir plus rilpivirine: benefits beyond viral suppression: DORIPEX retrospective study

Switching dual therapy with dolutegravir (DTG) plus rilpivirine (RPV) was assessed in the SWORD-1 and SWORD-2 studies. Real-life data regarding the immunological impact of this approach on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts and the CD4/CD8 ratio are scarce. We evaluated this strategy on the basis of clinical practice data.A multicentric retrospective cohort study.Treatment-experienced virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected patients who were switched to DTG plus RPV were included. Using different models for paired data, we evaluated the efficacy and immune status in terms of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratio at 24 and 48 weeks of treatment.The study population comprised of 524 patients from 34 centers in Spain. Men accounted for 76.9% of patients, with a median age of 53 years. Patients receiving DTG plus RPV reached weeks 24 and 48 in 99.4% and 83.8% of cases, respectively, with only three (0.57%) virological failures. We found a significant decrease in CD8+ T-cell count (log OR -40) at week 24 and an increase in CD4+ T-cell count at week 48 (log OR +22.8). In acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-diagnosed patients, we found a significant increase in the CD4+ T-cell count at week 48 (log OR = 41.7, P = .0038), but no significant changes in the CD8+ T-cell count (log OR = -23.4, P = .54). No differences were found in the CD4/CD8 ratio between the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome subgroup and sex or age.In patients with controlled treatment, dual therapy with DTG plus RPV slightly improved the immune status during the first 48 weeks after switching, not only in terms of CD4+ T-cell count but also in terms of CD8+ T-cell count, with persistently high rates of viral control.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of dolutegravir/lamivudine for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in the United States

BACKGROUND: Dolutegravir(DTG)/lamivudine(3TC) is the first 2-drug regimen recommended as an initial treatment for people living with HIV (PLHIV). OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness and potential budget impact of DTG/3TC in the US healthcare setting. METHODS: A previously published hybrid decision-tree and Markov cohort state transition model was adapted to estimate the incremental costs and health outcome benefits over a patients' lifetime. DTG/3TC was compared with current standard of care in treatment naive and treatment experienced virologically suppressed PLHIV. Health states included in the model were based upon virologic response and CD4 cell count, with death as an absorbing state. Clinical data was informed by the Phase III GEMINI 1 and 2 clinical trials, a published network meta-analysis (NMA) in treatment-naive patients and the Phase III TANGO clinical trial in treatment experienced patients. Costs and utilities were informed by published data and discounted annually at a rate of 3%. A separate 5-year budget impact analysis was conducted assuming 5%-15% uptake in eligible treatment naive and 10%-30% uptake in eligible treatment experienced patients. RESULTS: In the treatment naive analyses based on GEMINI 1 and 2, DTG/3TC dominated, i.e., was less costly and more effective, than all comparators. DTG/3TC resulted in 0.083 incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) at a cost saving of $199,166 compared with the DTG + tenofovir disoproxil(TDF)/emtricitabine(FTC) comparator arm. The incremental QALY and cost savings for DTG/3TC compared with DTG/abacavir(ABC)/3TC, cobicistat-boosted darunavir(DRV/c)/tenofovir alafenamide(TAF)/FTC, and bictegravir (BIC)/TAF/FTC, based on NMA results were 0.465, 0.142, and 0.698, and $42,948, $122,846, and $44,962, respectively. In the analyses of treatment-experienced virologically suppressed patients based on TANGO, DTG/3TC offered slightly lower QALYs (-0.037) with an estimated savings of $78,730 when compared with continuation of TAF-based regimen (TBR). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that these conclusions were relatively insensitive to alternative parameter estimates. The budget impact analysis estimated that by 5th year a total of 70,240 treatment naive patients and 1,340,480 treatment experienced patients could be eligible to be prescribed DTG/3TC. The estimated budget savings over 5 years ranged from $1.12b to $3.35b (corresponding to 27,512 to 82,536 on DTG/3TC by year 5) in the lowest and highest uptake scenarios, respectively. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, DTG/3TC with its comparable efficacy and lower drug acquisition costs, has the potential to offer significant cost savings to US healthcare payers for the initial treatment of treatment naive patients and as a treatment switching option for virologically suppressed patients. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded in full by ViiV healthcare, Brentford, UK. Medical writing to support this study was also funded in full by ViiV Healthcare, Brentford, UK. Butler, Hayward, and Jacob are employees of HEOR Ltd, the company performing this study funded by ViiV Healthcare. Anderson is an employee of GlaxoSmithKline and owns shares in the company. Punekar, Evitt, and Oglesby are employees of ViiV Healthcare and own stocks in GlaxoSmithKline.

Cost-Effectiveness of Juluca for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Treatment in Virologically Suppressed Adults in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES

Although the efficacy of traditional 3-drug regimens for the treatment of HIV is well established, tolerability and toxicity concerns remain. New 2-drug regimens such as Juluca (dolutegravir [DTG]/rilpivirine [RPV]) offer noninferior efficacy versus 3-drug regimens (SWORD-1 and SWORD-2 studies), while reducing cumulative drug exposure and potentially long-term toxicities and drug-drug interactions. Here, we assess the cost-effectiveness of DTG/RPV for the treatment of HIV-1 for virologically suppressed adults in Taiwan.

METHODS

A hybrid decision tree and Markov cohort state transition model was used to evaluate the expected economic costs and clinical outcomes associated with DTG/RPV and comparators. Model health states were defined by viral load and CD4 cell count. Efficacy and safety data were informed from SWORD-1 and SWORD-2 studies and the literature. The risk of long-term toxicities (cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, and chronic kidney disease) were included. Current branded drug acquisition prices were included, and healthcare costs informed by a bespoke costing study using National Health Insurance Research Database data. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated and compared with a willingness-to-pay threshold of 2 times Taiwan's gross domestic product (NT$1 550 000).

RESULTS

DTG/RPV was found to be a cost-saving regimen compared to 3 comparators (rilpivirine [RPV]/emtricitabine [FTC]/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [TDF], dolutegravir [DTG]/abacavir [ABC]/lamivudine [3TC], and elvitegravir [EVG]/cobicistat [c]/emtricitabine [FTC]/tenofovir alafenamide [TAF]) and fell in the southwest quadrant of the cost-effectiveness plane where it is generating significant savings with a small decrement in lifetime quality-adjusted life-years (-0.005). It was, however, more expensive than efavirenz [EFV]/emtricitabine [FTC]/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [TDF].

CONCLUSIONS

DTG/RPV is cost-saving compared to RPV/FTC/TDF, DTG/ABC/3TC, and EVG/c/FTC/TAF, and provides comparable efficacy with reduced cumulative drug exposure.

Estimating HIV Management and Comorbidity Costs Among Aging HIV Patients in the United States: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As life expectancy of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) approaches that of the general population, the composition of HIV management costs is likely to change.

OBJECTIVES

To (a) review treatment and disease management costs in HIV, including costs of adverse events (AEs) related to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and long-term toxicities, and (b) explore the evolving cost drivers.

METHODS

A targeted literature review between January 2012 and November 2017 was conducted using PubMed and major conferences. Articles reporting U.S. costs of HIV management, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining events, end of life care, and ART-associated comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and osteoporosis were included. All costs were inflated to 2017 U.S. dollars. A Markov model-based analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of increased life expectancy on costs associated with HIV treatment and management.

RESULTS

22 studies describing HIV costs in the United States were identified, comprising 16 cost-effectiveness analysis studies, 5 retrospective analyses of health care utilization, and 1 cost analysis in a resource-limited setting. Management costs per patient per month, including routine care costs (on/off ART), non-HIV medication, opportunistic infection prophylaxis, inpatient utilization, outpatient utilization, and emergency department utilization were reported as CD4+ cell-based health state costs ranging from $1,192 for patients with CD4 > 500 cells/mm3 to $2,873 for patients with CD4 < 50 cells/mm3. Event costs for AEs ranged from $0 for headache, pain, vomiting, and lipodystrophy to $31,545 for myocardial infarction. The mean monthly per-patient costs for CVD management, CKD management, and osteoporosis were $5,898, $6,108, and $4,365, respectively. Improvements in life expectancy, approaching that of the general population in 2018, are projected to increase ART-related and AE costs by 35.4% and comorbidity costs by 175.8% compared with estimated costs with HIV life expectancy observed in 1996.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified and summarized holistic cost estimates appropriate for use within U.S. HIV cost-effectiveness analyses and demonstrates an increasing contribution of comorbidity outcomes, primarily associated with aging in addition to long-term treatment with ART, not typically evaluated in contemporary HIV cost-effectiveness analyses.

DISCLOSURES

This analysis was sponsored by ViiV Healthcare, which had no role in the analyses and interpretation of study results. Ward, Sugrue, Hayward, and McEwan are employees of HEOR Ltd, which received funding from ViiV Healthcare to conduct this study. Anderson is an employee of GlaxoSmithKline and holds shares in the company. Punekar and Oglesby are employees of ViiV Healthcare and hold shares in GlaxoSmithKline. Lopes was employed by ViiV Healthcare at the time of the study and holds shares in GlaxoSmithKline.

The Changing Face of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Mediated Kidney Disease

In nearly 40 years since human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) first emerged, much has changed. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection and its effect on the cells within each kidney compartment has progressed, and the natural history of the disease has been transformed. What was once an acutely fatal illness is now a chronic disease managed with oral medications. This change is largely due to the advent of antiretroviral drugs, which have dramatically altered the prognosis and progression of HIV infection. However, the success of antiretroviral therapy has brought with it new challenges for the nephrologist caring for patients with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, including antiretroviral therapy-induced nephrotoxicity, development of non-HIV chronic kidney disease, and rising incidence of immune-mediated kidney injury. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of HIV infection and how it causes pathologic changes in the kidney, review the nephrotoxic effects of select antiretroviral medications, and touch upon other causes of kidney injury in HIV cases, including mechanisms of acute kidney injury, HIV-related immune complex glomerular disease, and thrombotic microangiopathy.

Brief Report: Tenofovir-Associated Nephrotoxicity Among a US National Historical Cohort of HIV-Infected Veterans: Risk Modification by Concomitant Antiretrovirals

BACKGROUND

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been associated with renal complications. The third agent in TDF-containing antiretroviral regimens may modify that risk. We compared renal adverse outcomes among treatment-naive HIV-infected patients initiating TDF-containing regimens including efavirenz (EFV) or other agents.

SETTING

This population-based historical cohort study used national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical and administrative data sets to identify treatment-naive HIV-infected veterans initiating antiretroviral therapy with TDF/emtricitabine (FTC) + EFV, rilpivirine (RPV), elvitegravir/cobicistat (EVG/c), or ritonavir (RTV)-boosted protease inhibitors (PIs) from 2003 to 2015.

METHODS

Unadjusted incidence rates (IRs) for each regimen and covariate-adjusted hazard ratios [ using Cox proportional hazards models and inverse probability of treatment weighting] for between-regimen comparisons were calculated for renal outcomes including confirmed proteinuria, defined as 2 consecutive protein-to-creatinine ratios >150 mg/g or albumin-to-creatinine ratios >30 mg/g occurring ≥90 days apart; chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as 2 consecutive estimated glomerular filtration rate measurements <60 mL·min·1.73 m occurring ≥90 days apart; and kidney dialysis.

RESULTS

Of 33,048 HIV-positive veterans, 4172 received EFV + TDF/FTC, 234 EVG/c/TDF/FTC, 173 RPV/TDF/FTC, and 2651 RTV-boosted PIs + TDF/FTC. Confirmed proteinuria and CKD IRs were numerically lower with EFV + TDF/FTC versus non-EFV + TDF/FTC (dialysis IRs were rare and comparable). After inverse probability of treatment weighting adjustment, EFV + TDF/FTC was associated with lower CKD risk versus non-EFV + TDF/FTC (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 0.72), EVG/c/TDF/FTC (0.75; 0.59 to 0.95), RPV/TDF/FTC (0.20; 0.17 to 0.24), and RTV-boosted PIs + TDF/FTC (0.62; 0.53 to 0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

EFV + TDF/FTC was associated with significantly lower risk of CKD versus other TDF-containing regimens in the Veterans Health Administration.