What Were the Results of the onceMRK Study at 96-Weeks Follow-Up?

Pedro Cahn, MD, Chief, Infectious Disease Unit, Juan A. Fernandez Hospital; and lead study investigator for the onceMRK Phase 3 clinical trial, shares the results found after 96-weeks of follow-up.

Interview Transcript (modified slightly for readability):

“The results of 96-weeks of follow-up for the onceMRK study were presented at the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Paris. (The results of 48-weeks were presented at a prior conference.) What the study has shown is non-inferiority of the once-a-day formulation compared with the twice-a-day formulation.

[The study] was a well-powered, randomized clinical study in which patients were randomized 2:1. Meaning that, for each patient that was randomized to the classic twice-a-day formulation, those patients were classified to the once-a-day formulation. The results were extremely good, in the range of > 80% for both arms, without any surprises regarding tolerability.

Raltegravir once-a-day was well-tolerated as the twice-a-day formulation. We did not receive any complaints from the patients [in the trial], or notice issues with adherence. I think that all of the good [results] we had with raltegravir twice-a-day formulation, we now will see in a once-daily dosing, which is an obvious advantage and will help people adhere better to the treatments.”