Simplification - higher effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy]

An essential precondition for antiretroviral treatment is the deep viral suppression that may be attained only by the long-term and full adherence of the patient. Non-adherence and irregular drug use increase the risk of the selection of resistant HIV mutants and the unfavorable clinical consequences of continuous virus replication. The risks of virologic failure, disease progression and death increase. The full treatment potential of antiretroviral therapy is associated not only with the effectiveness and safety of the specified drugs, but also with the complexity or simplicity of the relevant treatment regimens. The results of more retrospective analyses showed that a simpler regimen leads to better adherence than more complex regimens. Recently, antiviral treatment regimens have been consistently simplified. The highest level of simplification consists of a co-formulation of drugs for the whole daily dose called a single-tablet regimen. Currently, there are three preparations for such regimens in clinical practice - EFV/TDF/FTC, RPV/TDF/FTC and EVG/COBI/TDF/FTC. In patients using these therapeutic regimens, a positive economic impact may be seen in addition to the primary aspect, i.e. less frequent hospitalizations and lower health care costs.