SWIFT: prospective 48-week study to evaluate efficacy and safety of switching to emtricitabine/tenofovir from lamivudine/abacavir in virologically suppressed HIV-1 infected patients on a boosted protease inhibitor containing antiretroviral regimen.

Background. In the United States, emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) is a preferred nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone with lamivudine/abacavir (3TC/ABC) as a commonly used alternative. For patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) virologically suppressed on a boosted protease inhibitor (PI) + 3TC/ABC regimen, the merits of switching to FTC/TDF as the NRTI backbone are unknown. Methods. SWIFT was a prospective, randomized, open-label 48-week study to evaluate efficacy and safety of switching to FTC/TDF. Subjects receiving 3TC/ABC + PI + ritonavir (RTV) with HIV-1 RNA <200 c/mL >= 3 months were randomized to continue 3TC/ABC or switch to FTC/TDF. The primary endpoint was time to loss of virologic response (TLOVR) with noninferiority measured by delta of 12%. Virologic failure (VF) was defined as confirmed rebound or the last HIV-1 RNA measurement on study drug >= 200 c/mL. Results. In total, 311 subjects were treated in this study (155 to PI + RTV + FTC/TDF, 156 to PI + RTV + 3TC/ABC). Baseline characteristics were similar between the arms: 85% male, 28% black, median age, 46 years; and median CD4 532 cells/mm(3). By TLOVR through week 48, switching to FTC/TDF was noninferior compared to continued 3TC/ABC (86.4% vs 83.3%, treatment difference 3.0% (95% confidence interval, -5.1% to 11.2%). Fewer subjects on FTC/TDF experienced VF (3 vs 11; P =.034). FTC/TDF showed greater declines in fasting low-density lipoproteins (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) with significant declines in LDL and TC beginning at week 12 with no TC/HDL ratio change. Switching to FTC/TDF showed improved NCEP thresholds for TC and TG and improved 10-year Framingham TC calculated scores. Decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (eGFR) was observed in both arms with a larger decrease in the FTC/TDF arm. Conclusions. Switching to FTC/TDF from 3TC/ABC maintained virologic suppression, had fewer VFs, improved lipid parameters and Framingham scores but decreased eGFR.