Background: Nevirapine (NVP)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains to be used in HIV-infected patients in resource limited countries despite its compliance and adverse effect concerns. Rilpivirine (RPV), a newer non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, could be used as an alternative to NVP in virologically suppressed patients. However, there has been limited experience with switching from NVP-based to RPV-based regimens. The investigators aimed to study efficacy and adverse events after ART switching from NVP-based to RPV-based regimens.

Methods: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial was conducted in HIV-infected patients who received NVP-based regimens and had undetectable plasma HIV RNA for more than 6 months. Patients were randomized 1:1 to continuation arm (NVP-based regimens were continued) or switch arm (NVP-based regimens were switched to RPV-based regimens). Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plus lamivudine (3TC) or emtricitabine (FTC) remained as the backbone of the regimens. Primary endpoint was HIV RNA <40 copies/mL at 48 weeks, with a non-inferiority margin of 12%. Changes of CD4 cell counts and lipid profiles from baseline were analyzed.

A single-center randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial to study 48-week treatment outcomes of RPV as a switch therapy was conducted at Ramathibodi Hospital, a tertiary care health center in Thailand from December 2016 to October 2017 Eligible patients who currently received TDF/3TC/NVP (group A) or TDF/FTC/NVP (group B) were block 4 randomly assigned (1:1) by computer-generated random numbers, to continue their current regimen of NVP 200 mg twice daily plus TDF/3TC (group A1) and plus TDF/FTC (groupB1), or to switch from NVP to RPV 25 mg once-daily plus TDF/3TC (group A2) and plus TDF/FTC (groupB2). Patients were advised to take RPV with a meal. Patients were scheduled trial visits at baseline, week 12, 24, 36 and week 48. The laboratory assessment was performed at baseline week 24 and week 48.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recent plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load within 6 months of the screening that was less than 40 copies/mL, and a CD4 cell count that was more than 200 cells/mm3
• Patient who treated with TDF/FTC/NVP or TDF/3TC/NVP for at least 6 month

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with a history of HIV drug resistance, patients who used other drugs or drugs which interact with RPV (proton pump inhibitors, histamine H2-receptor antagonists, rifampin, antiepileptic drugs), female patients during pregnancy or breastfeeding, patients whose estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)was <60 mL/min/1.73m2 [by The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) (12)], and patients diagnosed with depressive or psychiatric disorders.