tenofovir + emtricitabine or lamivudine + lopinavir + ritonavir

Tenofovir + emtricitabine or lamivudine + lopinavir + ritonavir is a combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen specifically evaluated for the treatment of HIV-2 infection. The regimen consists of a nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone—comprising tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) paired with either emtricitabine (FTC) or lamivudine (3TC)—combined with the ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r). The NRTI components (tenofovir, emtricitabine, and lamivudine) inhibit the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme, preventing the conversion of viral RNA into DNA. Lopinavir acts by inhibiting the HIV protease enzyme, which is essential for the cleavage of viral polyprotein precursors into mature, infectious virions. Ritonavir is utilized as a pharmacokinetic enhancer (booster) to increase the plasma concentration and half-life of lopinavir by inhibiting the Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme. This regimen was studied as a first-line treatment arm in the Phase IIb FIT-2 trial (NCT02150993) conducted by ANRS in West Africa, targeting antiretroviral-naïve patients infected with HIV-2, which is naturally resistant to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).

Brand names

KaletraAluvia

Other names

TDF + FTC/3TC + LPV/rtenofovir + emtricitabine or lamivudine + lopinavir + ritonavir-ANRS, Emerging Infectious Diseases-HIV-2 infection