Improvement of lipid profiles when switching from efavirenz to rilpivirine in HIV-infected patients with dyslipidemia

Rilpivirine (RPV) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, which has better lipid profiles than efavirenz (EFV) in treatment naive patients. However, the data on treatment experience are limited especially in dyslipidemic HIV patients; thus, we aimed to assess the change of lipid profiles after switching from EFV to RPV in these patients. In this prospective, open-label, cohort study, we enrolled HIV-1 infected adults who had received at least 6 months of EFV-based regimen, with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL for > 6 months prior to switching. The objectives of this study were to analyze lipid changes and to evaluate the efficacy, safety, tolerability at 24 weeks after switching therapy. Fifty-three patients were enrolled and completed the study. At week 24, a significant decrease in the mean (95% confident interval, CI) total cholesterol (-28.06 mg/dL, 95% CI -35.20 to -20.91, p < 0.0001), LDL-cholesterol (-20.96 mg/dL, 95% CI -28.12 to -13.80, p < 0.0001), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (-5.11 mg/dL, 95% CI -7.79 to -2.44, p < 0.0001), and triglyceride (-29.79 mg/dL. 95% CI -52.39 to -7.19, p = 0.011) levels were observed. One patient had virologic rebound with HIV RNA of 114 copies/mL at week 24. Three (5.7%) patients had grade 2 elevations of liver enzymes. None of the patients discontinued RPV during the study. Switching from EFV-based therapy to RPV-based regimen improved lipid profiles in fully suppressed HIV patients with dyslipidemia. This treatment should be considered in these patients.