Efficacy and safety of a single‐tablet regimen containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg, lamivudine 300 mg and efavirenz 400 mg as a switch strategy in virologically suppressed HIV‐1‐infected subjects on nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor‐containing first‐line antiretroviral therapy in Pune, India

OBJECTIVES As per National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates, there are 2.1 million people living with HIV (PWH) in India, of whom 1.2 million are on first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study explored the use of a single-tablet regimen containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg + lamivudine 300 mg + efavirenz 400 mg (TLE400 STR) as a first-line switch strategy in PWH in Pune, India. METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted in private sector ART clinics in three tertiary-level hospitals in Pune, India. PWH > 12 years of age (n = 502) who initiated first-line ART (predominantly TLE600 STR), completed ≥ 6 months of follow-up and achieved virological suppression [plasma viral load (VL) 1000 copies/mL) and treatment regimen failure were seen in six (1.2%) and 49 (9.8%) subjects, respectively. CONCLUSIONS TLE400 STR exhibits excellent efficacy and safety as a switch strategy and should be introduced in the Indian National ART Program, especially for PWH who are virologically suppressed on TLE600 STR.