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Single-tablet ART regimen led to greater treatment adherence

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DENVER — Patients with HIV who received highly active antiretroviral therapy as a single daily tablet were twice as likely to adhere to their treatment as those who received multiple tablets a day, according to new data presented here.

“Our study results confirm the improved compliance noted in other studies and further support single-tablet ART for patients with HIV,” the researchers said during the 2013 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Charles L. Bennett, MD, PhD, professor at South Carolina College of Pharmacy, and colleagues evaluated the effect of ART as a single- vs. multiple-tablet regimen on treatment outcomes in 15,602 patients with HIV (mean age, 52 years). The researchers used electronic medical record data from the Veterans Health Administration from 2006 to 2011 to study treatment adherence, hospitalizations and viral load. Patients were followed for a minimum of 6 months.

During follow-up, 75% of the single-tablet cohort (n=6,191) vs. 55.7% of the multiple-tablet group (n=9,411) were found to be treatment compliant (P<.001). Single-tablet patients also were significantly less likely to be hospitalized compared with those receiving multiple tablets (26.8% vs. 31.3%; P<.001). After controlling for confounding factors, the researchers found that patients receiving ART as a single daily tablet were almost twice as likely to be adherent (adjusted OR=1.98; P<.001) and had a 31% reduced odds of being hospitalized during follow-up (adjusted HR=0.69; P<.001).

Patients receiving single-tablet ART also had significantly lower viral loads (7,376 vs. 8,674; P<.001).

“Health care providers and payers may see a benefit in improved medication-taking behavior with ART using a single tablet compared to multiple tablets based on fewer hospital visits and other improvements in clinical outcomes,” the researchers concluded. “These clinical outcomes could potentially decrease total health care costs in HIV patients.”

For more information:

Bennett C. #H-1464. Presented at: ICAAC 2013; Sept. 10-13, 2013; Denver.

Disclosure: Gilead provided funding for the study.