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Updated: May 18, 2026
10:29
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Published on: May 9, 2025
Adherence and persistence with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based antiretroviral regimens
Charu Taneja1, Timothy Juday, Larry Gertzog
1Policy Analysis, Inc., Brookline, MA, USA.
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
|September 14, 2012
Summary
Adherence and persistency in HIV patients varied by non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimen. Fixed-dose combination efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir showed better adherence and persistency than other NNRTI regimens.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- HIV treatment relies on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
- Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are a common first-line option for cART.
- Patient adherence and treatment persistence are crucial for long-term HIV management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate adherence and persistency among HIV patients initiating first-line NNRTI-based cART.
- To compare adherence and persistency across different NNRTI-based regimens.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of US health insurance records (2003-2009).
- Inclusion of adult patients (≥18 years) starting NNRTI-based cART.
- Adherence assessed by Proportion of Days Covered (PDC); persistency by discontinuation, switching, or augmentation.
Main Results:
- Fixed-dose efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir (EFV/FTC/TDF) group (n=1874) demonstrated superior adherence compared to EFV + ≥ 2 NRTIs (n=893) and NVP + ≥ 2 NRTIs (n=207).
- Lower adherence rates (RR=1.57 and 2.01) and higher non-persistency (HR=1.56 and 1.70) were observed for EFV + ≥ 2 NRTIs and NVP + ≥ 2 NRTIs, respectively.
- Statistical significance was achieved for all comparisons (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Adherence and persistency differ significantly among NNRTI-based cART regimens.
- The fixed-dose combination of EFV/FTC/TDF appears to offer better patient adherence and treatment persistence.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying reasons for observed differences in adherence and persistency.
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