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Review
. 2008 Jul;4(7):965-72.
doi: 10.1517/17425255.4.7.965.

Efavirenz--still first-line king?

Brookie M Best  1 , Miguel Goicoechea
Affiliations
Review

Efavirenz--still first-line king?

Brookie M Best et al. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2008 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Efavirenz is a potent, safe and tolerable non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) recommended as initial therapy. Recently, several new antiretroviral drugs, including second generation NNRTIs, protease-inhibitors, an integrase-inhibitor and a CCR5 inhibitor, have become or will be shortly available.

Objective: This article will review relevant efficacy and safety data of efavirenz compared to these novel agents or certain common alternate drugs currently used as initial therapy in treatment-naive patients.

Methods: Published articles and conference presentations pertaining to efavirenz and/or the newer antiretroviral agents were evaluated.

Results/conclusions: Efavirenz will continue to be preferred initial therapy for now. If longer-term studies of integrase inhibitors and second-generation NNRTIs confirm initial findings, they will eventually supplant efavirenz as preferred first-line agents.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The chemical structure of efavirenz.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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