Adherence, Quality of Life, and General Satisfaction with Co-formulated Zidovudine, Lamivudine, and Abacavir on Antiretroviral-Experienced Patients

PURPOSE: The main objective of the study was to evaluate patients' adherence to a fixed dose combination containing abacavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine (TZV) and to evaluate whether TZV might improve general satisfaction and quality of life (QOL) with anti-HIV treatment. METHOD: Patients with viral load (VL) <400 copies switched their antiretroviral therapy to TZV. Adherence was assessed by patient self-report and medication accountability at week 24. General satisfaction was evaluated with 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline and week 24. QOL was assessed with MOS-HIV questionnaire at baseline and weeks 12 and 24. Biochemical and hematological parameters were evaluated for safety reasons. RESULTS: A total of 224 patients were included in the study. Overall, 81% (intent to treat [ITT]) and 98% (per protocol [PP]) of patients reported an adherence >95%, reaching 75% and 100% among the intravenous drug user population by ITT and PP analysis, respectively. General satisfaction was significantly higher at week 24 (90 +/- 14 vs. 53 +/- 26) in both ITT and PP populations (p<.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in QOL. Total cholesterol and triglycerides levels decreased significantly at week 24 compared to baseline (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Patients who switched to TZV showed an increase in general satisfaction and high levels of adherence.