Stribild is Less Likely to Give You Nightmares

After nearly two years of clinical trials, researchers have proven that the daily antiretroviral drug Stribild (often called Quad) is just as effective as both Atripla and a Reyataz plus Truvuda combination. The results of these trials were presented by Dr. David Cooper at the 7th International AIDS Society Conference n HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention.

"Stribild had a robust and durable efficacy through week 96," Cooper told MedPage Today. "It was comparable to Atripla and to atazanavir plus Truvada. The effectiveness of Stribild was consistent across all demographic groups and when we stratified for HIV levels and CD4 cell counts."

After 96 weeks, 83 percent of the patients on Stribild had achieved suppression of HIV to undetectable levels, compared to 82 percent of those on Atripla and 82 percent on Truvada.

The results were similar across the board in regards to race, age, HIV RNA levels, and CD4 cell counts. One big difference, Cooper added, was that 14 percent of the Atripla patients experienced abnormal dreams compared to 5 percent of those on Truvada and only one percent on Stribild.

"We think that the overall efficacy, safety, and tolerability support the use of [Stribild] as a first line therapy in treatment-naïve HIV patients," Cooper said.

Stribild is approved in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia, and few other countries, however elvitegravir and cobicistat (the combo that makes the drug) are not yet approved individually.