Predictive factors for response to a boosted dual HIV-protease inhibitor therapy with saquinavir and lopinavir in extensively pre-treated patients.

Objective: To evaluate predictive factors for therapy outcome of a boosted double-protease inhibitor (PI) regimen in 58 extensively pre-treated patients with HIV. Methods: Patients received lopinavir/ritonavir 400/100 mg and saquinavir 1,000 mg twice daily without reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTI). The primary outcome parameter was HIV RNA 200 cells/μl, lopinavir C min GlQ arch >2,000 ng/ml and the absence of viral resistance mutations at V82T/A/F/I/S and I54M/V/L are highly predictive for therapeutic success of a regimen of saquinavir/lopinavir/ ritonavir without RTI in a heterogenic cohort of patients with an extensive pre-treatment history and highly variable pharmacokinetics.