Nevirapine synergistically inhibits HIV-1 replication in combination with zidovudine, interferon or CD4 immunoadhesin

Objective: To determine whether synergistic inhibition of HIV-1 replication would result from the in vitro use of nevirapine in combination with zidovudine, interferon (IFN)-α 2C, and CD4 immunoadhesin. Design and methods: The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine (formerly BI-RG-5S7) was tested in combination with the other antiretroviral agents. Assays were performed on stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes infected with HIV-1. Virus replication was assessed by the release of viral p24 antigen into culture supernatants. The median-effect principle was used to assess for synergistic interactions of the combined agents