Publications by authors named "Rima Kulkarni"

Background: The integrase inhibitor regimen [elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)] demonstrated superior efficacy when compared with a protease inhibitor regimen [ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV + RTV) and FTC/TDF] in 575 treatment-naive women at week 48. We investigated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of switching to a TAF-based, single-tablet regimen containing elvitegravir, cobicistat, FTC, and tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF) versus remaining on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF.

Methods: After completing the initial randomized, blinded phase, virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL) women on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF were rerandomized (3:1) to receive open-label E/C/F/TAF versus remaining on their current regimen.

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Background Women and those with non-B subtype HIV-1 are typically underrepresented in clinical trials. WAVES (GS-US-236-0128) was a double-blind phase 3b study among treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected women that demonstrated that elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF; N = 289) was superior to atazanavir + ritonavir + FTC/TDF (ATV + RTV + FTC/TDF; N = 286) for HIV-1 RNA < 50 copies/mL by FDA snapshot analysis at week 48. Here, we describe resistance development through week 48 in women with virologic failure and determine the impact of pre-existing mutations and HIV-1 subtype on viral suppression.

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Background: The presence of transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRMs) in antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naive patients can adversely affect the outcome of ART.

Methods: Resistance testing was conducted in 6704 ART-naive subjects predominantly from the United States and Europe in 9 clinical studies conducted by Gilead Sciences from 2000 to 2013.

Results: The presence of TDRMs increased during this period (from 5.

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Background: The clinical impact of transient episodes of HIV viraemia (viral blips) on virological failure and resistance development is not fully understood. Here we investigated the blip frequency and virological outcomes of HIV-1-infected subjects experiencing viral blips among treatment-naive subjects initiating therapy on rilpivirine (RPV)/emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) or efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF through 96 weeks of treatment.

Methods: Subjects treated with at least one dose of study drug and with at least one post-baseline HIV-1 RNA value were included in this analysis.

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Objectives: Antiretroviral regimen switching may be considered for HIV-1-infected, virologically-suppressed patients to enable treatment simplification or improve tolerability, but should be guided by knowledge of pre-existing drug resistance. The current study examined the impact of pre-existing drug resistance mutations on virologic outcomes among virologically-suppressed patients switching to Rilpivirine (RPV)/emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF).

Methods: SPIRIT was a phase 3b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of switching to RPV/FTC/TDF in virologically-suppressed HIV-1-infected patients.

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Objectives: The patterns of emergent HIV-1 drug resistance in patients failing a single-tablet regimen consisting of elvitegravir, boosted by cobicistat, plus emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) include mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN). The order of development of mutations at early virological failure has not been described. The aim of this study was to determine the first resistance mutations to emerge during virological failure on EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF.

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Background: STaR (GS-US-264-0110) was a 96-week phase 3b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of two single-tablet regimens, rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (RPV/FTC/TDF) and efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (EFV/FTC/TDF) in treatment-naive, HIV-1-infected subjects.

Methods: Genotypic analyses (population sequencing) of HIV-1 protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) were performed at screening; subjects with pre-existing resistance to study drugs were excluded. The protocol-defined resistance analysis population had genotypic/phenotypic analyses at failure and baseline for PR and RT.

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Background: Stably suppressed HIV-1-infected patients that switched to elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) from regimens containing FTC/TDF plus a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI + RTV), nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), or raltegravir in phase 3 studies STRATEGY-PI, STRATEGY-NNRTI, and GS-US-236-0123 maintained high rates of virologic suppression through 48 weeks. In this article, resistance analyses for these studies are described.

Methods: HIV-1 historical genotypes obtained before therapy initiation were analyzed for preexisting/transmitted resistance (-R) in protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) and subtype.

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Objective: To describe baseline and emergent HIV-1 resistance to elvitegravir/ cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) and ritonavir-boosted atazanavir/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (ATV+RTV+FTC/TDF) in HIV-1-infected, treatment-naïve subjects through 144 weeks.

Method: This was a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study. HIV-1 protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) were sequenced at screening.

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Background: Here, the baseline and emergent resistance to elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) versus efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF in HIV-1-infected antiretroviral-naive adults through 144 weeks from the randomized, ongoing, Phase III study GS-US-236-0102 is described.

Methods: HIV-1 protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) were sequenced at screening; patients with HIV-1 resistant to EFV, FTC or TDF were excluded. Genotypic/phenotypic analyses were performed at virological failure confirmation and baseline for PR, RT and integrase (IN) for patients with virological failure and for patients with HIV-1 RNA≥400 copies/ml at weeks 48, 96, 144 or early study drug discontinuation.

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Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involves combination treatment with three or more antiretroviral agents. The antiviral effects of combinations of emtricitabine (FTC) plus tenofovir (TFV) plus antiretroviral agents of all the major drug classes were investigated. Combinations of FTC and TFV with a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) (efavirenz or rilpivirine) or with a protease inhibitor (PI) (atazanavir, lopinavir, or darunavir) showed additive to synergistic anti-HIV-1 activity.

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Background: The Single-Tablet Regimen (STaR) study (GS-US-264-0110) is a 96-week phase 3b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of 2 single-tablet regimens, rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (RPV/FTC/TDF), and efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (EFV/FTC/TDF) in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected subjects.

Methods: Genotypic analyses (population sequencing) of HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase were performed at screening; subjects with pre-existing resistance to study drugs were excluded. The primary protocol-defined resistance analysis population (RAP) had genotypic/phenotypic analyses at failure and baseline for protease and reverse transcriptase.

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The single tablet regimen of the nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), emtricitabine (FTC), and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) rilpivirine (RPV) is approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve adults. Previous studies have shown that two-drug combinations of these drugs show additive to synergistic HIV-1 antiviral activity in cell culture. In this study, two-drug combinations of tenofovir (TFV)+FTC, RPV+TFV, and RPV+FTC inhibited HIV-1 replication in cell culture with strong synergy and no evidence of antagonism.

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Background: The registrational phase III clinical trials of the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor (NNRTI) rilpivirine (RPV) in combination with two nucleoside/nucleotide RT inhibitors (NRTIs) found a unique genotypic resistance pattern involving the NNRTI mutation E138K with the NRTI mutation M184I. Eighty percent of subjects used emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF); a single tablet regimen of FTC/RPV/TDF is in development.

Methods: HIV-1 with E138K and/or M184V or I mutations were constructed and phenotyped in MT-2 cells and the PhenoSense and Antivirogram assays.

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