HIV Treatment: An Introduction
October 20, 2013
Dr. Joanna Eveland, MS, MD

HIV Medical Director, Clinica Esperanza/Mission Neighborhood
Health Center
Objectives
When, Why and What treatment
to start
Overcoming side effects

Working with your healthcare
providers to get the most out of
treatment
When to start?
11/7/2013

Source: HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
2013 Treatment Guidelines
Antiretroviral therapy is
recommended for all HIV+
individuals regardless of
CD4 count
Why Treat Early?
 Prevent irreversible damage to the immune
system
 Reduce “Inflammation” to prevent heart
disease, cancer, premature aging

 Treatment is prevention
 Reduce the size of the “HIV reservoir”,
maybe making HIV easier to cure someday
Don’t start meds until…
 You feel ready
 You are well engaged in care
 You can commit to taking
your meds regularly
 You feel that other life factors
and potential barriers to
adherence (drugs, drama,
mental health) are under
control
We have a long way to go…
What to start?
Where we started…
Where we are now…
Take Home Points
 HIV treatment continues to improve- for the
better!
 Each person’s combination of medicines is
different

 KNOW what you take, and why
Know What You’re Taking
 HIV drugs have two, sometimes three,
different names
 Scientific name, brand name, chemical name
 Zidovudine = Retrovir = AZT

 Some tablets contain more than one
ingredient
 Atripla = tenofovir + emtricitabine + efavirenz
Goal of Treatment
General Principles
 Goals: less pills, less times/day, less side
effects

 Use at least 3 drugs, 2 classes of medicines
 Treatment is individualized- 4 recommended
1st line combos, lots of alternate regimens
 Sometimes 3 isn’t enough
 Your Protease Inhibitor may need a “Booster”
 Drug resistance usually = more pills
Treatment Principles:
Chinese Menu Metaphor


“Two scoops of rice
plus chicken or beef”

In other words, usually



2 “nukes”(NRTI) (2
scoops of rice) plus
– 1 partner drug (main dish)

 Protease Inhibitor
(beef)
 “non-nuke” NNRTI
(chicken)
The Drugs…

Each attacks the virus at a different point…
Where Do HIV Drugs Act?
NRTIs, “Nukes”
NRTIs Continued
 Backbone of treatment

 Older drugs are more toxic (AZT, “D-drugs”)
 Peripheral neuropathy
 Lactic acidosis
 Pancreatitis
 Lipodystrophy

 Watch kidney function with Tenofovir
NNRTIs, “Non-nukes”
NNRTIs: Pros and Cons
ADVANTAGES



Ease (low pill
burden)



Less metabolic
effects



Well tolerated



DISADVANTAGES



No lipodystrophy, less
dyslipidemia

Resistance
develops quickly if
<95% adherent
 Single mutation
 Cross resistance among
NNRTIs



Rash;
hepatotoxicity
Protease Inhibitors
PIs: Pros and Cons
ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES



High potency



Once daily dosing for
many



Less susceptible to
resistance



Second-line therapy
when NNRTI fails







Metabolic complications


- Increased
cholesterol, blood
sugar

GI side effects


- Diarrhea, nausea

Drug interactions
– Statins, viagra, antiseizure, many
Integrase Inhibitors
Integrase Inhibitors

 3 agents- more to come!
 Well tolerated, less metabolic effects and
drug interactions than other classes

 Can cause rash, hepatotoxicity
Entry Inhibitors
Entry Inhibitors
 Currently used as salvage therapy for those
with drug resistance
 Fuzeon is injectable, rarely used
 Maraviroc is well tolerated, requires CCR5
receptor on CD4 cells (not everyone has
this)
 More to come in this class
Once a day Fixed Dose Combos
Name

Pros

Cons

Atripla

Lots of
experience
using it

• Neuropsych side effects
• Don’t stop without planning

Complera

Well tolerated

• Only studied in treatment
naïve
• Not for use if VL >100K
• Take with food
• Can’t take PPIs

Stribild

Well tolerated

• Only studied in treatment
naïve
• Drug interactions
• Watch kidney function
• Nausea
Side Effects
 Tend to be worst in
the first 2 months of
therapy
 Severe side effects
are a reason to
change
medications
 Your expectations
shape your
experience
What If I Miss a Pill?

 Risk of resistance increases with missing more
than 1-2 doses/month
 If you miss a dose, try and learn from it
 If stopping your meds
 All or none
 Let us know!
Working With Your Provider

 You deserve great care
 Find the right fit
 Educate yourself

 Be engaged in care- regular visits
 Uninsured? You can still get care!
HIV and Aging
Focus on Wellness
 Manage stress
 Exercise regularly
 Quit smoking
 Reduce harmful drug or alcohol use
 Build a supportive community
 Define and achieve your personal goals
HIV Cure Research
Theraputic
vaccines

Gene therapy
BM Transplants

Early/better
treatment

Paths to an
HIV Cure

“Shock and Kill”
HIV infected
cell suicide
Resources
Project Inform:
1-800-342-2437,
http://www.projectinform.org/

AIDSmeds.com
thebody.com
HIVinsite.org
www.aidsinfonet.org
Thanks

 To you for taking
care of yourself!
 The advocates
and activists who
gave us these
treatments
 My patients
More Questions?

Dr. Joanna Eveland
Clinica Esperanza
240 Shotwell St., SF
(415) 431-3212 – Clinic Info
(415) 552-3870 # 303 –My extension

joannaeveland@mnhc.org

HIV Treatment Overview

  • 1.
    HIV Treatment: AnIntroduction October 20, 2013 Dr. Joanna Eveland, MS, MD HIV Medical Director, Clinica Esperanza/Mission Neighborhood Health Center
  • 2.
    Objectives When, Why andWhat treatment to start Overcoming side effects Working with your healthcare providers to get the most out of treatment
  • 3.
  • 4.
  • 5.
    2013 Treatment Guidelines Antiretroviraltherapy is recommended for all HIV+ individuals regardless of CD4 count
  • 6.
    Why Treat Early? Prevent irreversible damage to the immune system  Reduce “Inflammation” to prevent heart disease, cancer, premature aging  Treatment is prevention  Reduce the size of the “HIV reservoir”, maybe making HIV easier to cure someday
  • 7.
    Don’t start medsuntil…  You feel ready  You are well engaged in care  You can commit to taking your meds regularly  You feel that other life factors and potential barriers to adherence (drugs, drama, mental health) are under control
  • 8.
    We have along way to go…
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Take Home Points HIV treatment continues to improve- for the better!  Each person’s combination of medicines is different  KNOW what you take, and why
  • 13.
    Know What You’reTaking  HIV drugs have two, sometimes three, different names  Scientific name, brand name, chemical name  Zidovudine = Retrovir = AZT  Some tablets contain more than one ingredient  Atripla = tenofovir + emtricitabine + efavirenz
  • 14.
  • 15.
    General Principles  Goals:less pills, less times/day, less side effects  Use at least 3 drugs, 2 classes of medicines  Treatment is individualized- 4 recommended 1st line combos, lots of alternate regimens  Sometimes 3 isn’t enough  Your Protease Inhibitor may need a “Booster”  Drug resistance usually = more pills
  • 16.
    Treatment Principles: Chinese MenuMetaphor  “Two scoops of rice plus chicken or beef” In other words, usually  2 “nukes”(NRTI) (2 scoops of rice) plus – 1 partner drug (main dish)  Protease Inhibitor (beef)  “non-nuke” NNRTI (chicken)
  • 17.
    The Drugs… Each attacksthe virus at a different point…
  • 18.
    Where Do HIVDrugs Act?
  • 19.
  • 20.
    NRTIs Continued  Backboneof treatment  Older drugs are more toxic (AZT, “D-drugs”)  Peripheral neuropathy  Lactic acidosis  Pancreatitis  Lipodystrophy  Watch kidney function with Tenofovir
  • 21.
  • 22.
    NNRTIs: Pros andCons ADVANTAGES  Ease (low pill burden)  Less metabolic effects  Well tolerated  DISADVANTAGES  No lipodystrophy, less dyslipidemia Resistance develops quickly if <95% adherent  Single mutation  Cross resistance among NNRTIs  Rash; hepatotoxicity
  • 23.
  • 24.
    PIs: Pros andCons ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES  High potency  Once daily dosing for many  Less susceptible to resistance  Second-line therapy when NNRTI fails    Metabolic complications  - Increased cholesterol, blood sugar GI side effects  - Diarrhea, nausea Drug interactions – Statins, viagra, antiseizure, many
  • 25.
  • 26.
    Integrase Inhibitors  3agents- more to come!  Well tolerated, less metabolic effects and drug interactions than other classes  Can cause rash, hepatotoxicity
  • 27.
  • 28.
    Entry Inhibitors  Currentlyused as salvage therapy for those with drug resistance  Fuzeon is injectable, rarely used  Maraviroc is well tolerated, requires CCR5 receptor on CD4 cells (not everyone has this)  More to come in this class
  • 29.
    Once a dayFixed Dose Combos Name Pros Cons Atripla Lots of experience using it • Neuropsych side effects • Don’t stop without planning Complera Well tolerated • Only studied in treatment naïve • Not for use if VL >100K • Take with food • Can’t take PPIs Stribild Well tolerated • Only studied in treatment naïve • Drug interactions • Watch kidney function • Nausea
  • 30.
    Side Effects  Tendto be worst in the first 2 months of therapy  Severe side effects are a reason to change medications  Your expectations shape your experience
  • 31.
    What If IMiss a Pill?  Risk of resistance increases with missing more than 1-2 doses/month  If you miss a dose, try and learn from it  If stopping your meds  All or none  Let us know!
  • 32.
    Working With YourProvider  You deserve great care  Find the right fit  Educate yourself  Be engaged in care- regular visits  Uninsured? You can still get care!
  • 33.
  • 34.
    Focus on Wellness Manage stress  Exercise regularly  Quit smoking  Reduce harmful drug or alcohol use  Build a supportive community  Define and achieve your personal goals
  • 35.
    HIV Cure Research Theraputic vaccines Genetherapy BM Transplants Early/better treatment Paths to an HIV Cure “Shock and Kill” HIV infected cell suicide
  • 36.
  • 37.
    Thanks  To youfor taking care of yourself!  The advocates and activists who gave us these treatments  My patients
  • 38.
    More Questions? Dr. JoannaEveland Clinica Esperanza 240 Shotwell St., SF (415) 431-3212 – Clinic Info (415) 552-3870 # 303 –My extension [email protected]