OBJECTIVES To obtain data on the pharmacokinetics of efavirenz in children in clinical practice. METHODS HIV-1-infected children received efavirenz capsules or tablets in accordance with manufacturer's dosing recommendations. Plasma was collected at regular visits and analysed by HPLC. The therapeutic range of efavirenz was defined as 1.0-4.0 mg/L. RESULTS Thirty-three children were include...

Patients with plasma viral RNA >50,000 copies/mL, despite a protease-inhibitor regimen, received abacavir, amprenavir, and efavirenz to assess efavirenz-amprenavir drug interactions and to evaluate safety and antiviral response. Patients first received amprenavir with abacavir and other nucleoside analogs. Amprenavir levels were measured before and after adding efavirenz. Patients then received...

Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in combination with other drugs for the treatment of patients with HIV infection. Efavirenz has been reported to cause a positive urine cannabis test reaction which may create problems between HIV-infected patients on Efavirenz and law enforcement agencies. Doctors are at loss whether to issue documents certifying the potential ...

BACKGROUND HIV infection, anti-tuberculosis and efavirenz therapy are associated with neuropsychological effects. We evaluated the influence of rifampicin cotreatment, efavirenz pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics on neuropsychiatric disorders in Ugandan HIV patients with or without tuberculosis coinfection. METHODS 197 treatment naïve Ugandan HIV patients, of whom 138 were TB co-infected, ...

OBJECTIVE Limited information exists on the clinical usefulness of drug level monitoring for efavirenz, a once-daily non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). The aim of this study was to determine whether efavirenz plasma concentration monitoring could predict treatment failure and central nervous system (CNS) tolerability. METHODS Blood samples were obtained from 130 HIV-infec...

The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) Efavirenz is frequently used in human immunodeficiency virus treatment, but also efficient against cancer in mouse models. Its radiosensitizing effect makes it a promising drug for combination with radiotherapy. The efficacy of Efavirenz combined with irradiation was assessed with immunostaining of DNA-damage markers and colony formatio...

BACKGROUND Rifampicin induces expression of the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 2B6 (CYP2B6), which metabolizes efavirenz. The CYP2B6 516G>T polymorphism impairs efavirenz metabolism and occurs more commonly in Africans than in Caucasians. We explored the effect of rifampicin-based antitubercular therapy and the 516G>T polymorphism on efavirenz concentrations in HIV-infected patients in South Africa....

BACKGROUND Women of childbearing age represent a growing proportion of people living with HIV. Preventing pregnancy is important in HIV-infected women receiving efavirenz as part of their antiretroviral therapy. METHODS The effects of coadministration of efavirenz (600 mg once daily) on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the active components (ethinyl estradiol [EE] and 17-deacetyl norgestimate [NG...

The steady-state pharmacokinetics of efavirenz and nevirapine, when used in combination to treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected subjects, were investigated. HIV-1-infected persons who had used efavirenz (600 mg once daily) for > or =2 weeks were eligible for study inclusion. The plasma pharmacokinetics of efavirenz were determined over 24 h. Subsequently, nevirapine (400 m...

Seventy-one human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with tuberculosis who were receiving a rifampin (rifampicin)-containing regimen were initiated on treatment with efavirenz at 600 mg/day plus stavudine-lamivudine. Fasting efavirenz concentrations at 12 h after dosing (C12) were monitored. The mean +/- standard deviation efavirenz C12 at weeks 6 and 12 and after rifampin discontinuation...