Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Published on: May 9, 2025
The Epi-TAF for Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate?
Rochelle P Walensky1, Tim H Horn2, A David Paltiel3
1Medical Practice Evaluation Center Division of Infectious Disease Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
Approximately 84% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected US residents on antiretroviral therapy currently receive some form of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as part of their HIV treatment regimen. The TDF analogue tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has demonstrated equal efficacy but with decreased renal injury and bone mineral density loss compared with TDF. We examine how much more society ought to be willing to pay for TAF over TDF, in exchange for its improved toxicity profile. Using cost-effectiveness methods, we find that current conditions warrant an annual premium of up to $1000 over the average wholesale price (AWP) of TDF. Once generic coformulations of tenofovir/lamivudine become accessible, however, the appropriate premium for TAF will likely merit a downward adjustment, using generic TDF-based costs as the benchmark.
Related Concept Videos
Retroviruses
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Subviral Agents
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions

