| Literature DB >> 26881055 |
Francis Kalemeera1, Assegid T Mengistu2, Johannes Gaeseb3.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical trials showed a higher risk of skin- and liver- related adverse reactions when NVP-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) was initiated in female and male patients with baseline CD4 cell counts ≥250 and ≥400, respectively. Some studies reported no difference in risk between the high and low CD4 count groups. Consequently, the use of NVP-based ART in all patients with a CD4 cell count <350, was recommended. In 2011, the Pharmacovigilance Centre detected an increase in reports of grade III and IV reactions. The center was required to determine if there was an increase in NVP-related reactions.Entities:
Keywords: Adverse reaction; Grade III; Grade IV; Liver; Nevirapine; Proportional reaction ratio; Reaction ratio; Signal; Skin
Year: 2016 PMID: 26881055 PMCID: PMC4753655 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-016-0054-x
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Pharm Policy Pract ISSN: 2052-3211
Namibia ART guidelines 2008, 2010, and 2014 on the Use of NVP and response to NVP-related adverse reactions
| Year of Guidelines | CD4 count threshold for ART initiation | Preferred ART regimen | Response following NVP-related adverse drug reaction (skin and liver) | Recommended Second Line ART |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-2008 | <200cells/mm3 | D4T/3TC/NVP | • Grade I observe, add some medicine | TDF/3TC/LPV/r |
| 2008 | <200cells/mm3 | AZT/3TC/NVP | TDF/3TC/LPV/r | |
| 2010 | ≤350cells/mm3 | TDF/3TC/NVP | • Grade II, replace NVP with EFV | TDF/3TC/AZT/LPV/r |
| • Grade III or IV, replace NVP with LPV/r | ||||
| 2014 | ≤500cells/mm3 | TDF/FTC/EFV | Left blank – focus is placed on NVP | AZT/FTC/LPV/r |
D4T Stavudine, 3TC Lamivudine, NVP Nevirapine, AZT Zidovudine, TDF Tenofovir, FTC Emtricitabine, EFV Efavirenz, LPV/r Lopinavir/ritonavir
Fig. 1Selection of records with a NVP-to-PI substitution
Number of patients with a NVP-to-PI substitution
| Time after starting ART (number of weeks) | Number of NVP to PI substitutions | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 24 |
| 4 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 12 | 42 |
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 70 |
| 8 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 47 |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 24 |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 25 |
| 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 17 |
| 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 20 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 24 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Total | 25 | 48 | 93 | 124 | 290 |
Throughout the period that was assessed, the majority of NVP-to-PI substitutions took place within the first12 weeks of ART. Higher numbers of substitutions are observed in 2010 and even higher in 2011 than the two previous years
Fig. 2The figure shows that in the last quarter of 2010, the number of NVP-to-PI substitutions exceeded those in the previous quarters, as did the number of patients newly started on ART (n = 5 352). These substitutions peaked in the first quarter of 2011, but dropped in the subsequent two quarters. In the last quarter of 2011, the number of patients started on ART reverted to the earlier total level (n = 3 025)
Fig. 3A major increase in TDF as a part of the nucleoside backbone in first line antiretroviral therapy is observed in the last quarter of 2010. Although a reduction is observed in the consequent months, the use of TDF remained high compared to what it was in the earlier quarters
Comparison of Frequencies of NVP-to-PI Substitutions before and after July 2010: Results According to Gender
| No. Started ART before Q3 2010 | No. changed from NVP to PI | No. Started ART in and after Q3 2010 | No. changed from NVP to PI | Odds Ratio (CI) |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females | 21 034 | 74 | 16 540 | 137 | 2.4 (1.8–3.1) | <0.0001 |
| Males | 13 012 | 28 | 9 987 | 51 | 2.4 (1.4–3.8) | 0.0002 |
Fig. 4Shows an increase in NVP-to-PI substitution in the third quarter of 2010, which was maintained for the consequent three quarters. We observed a decline in NVP-to-PI substitutions in the third quarter of 2011
Number of NVP-to-PI Substitutions for females vs. males before and after the Launch of the 2010 ART Guidelines
| Period | Males | Females | Odds Ratio (CI) |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. started on ART | No changed from NVP to PI | No. started on ART | No. changed from NVP to PI | |||
| July 2010 and after | 9,987 | 51 | 16,540 | 137 | 1.6 (1.2–2 .2) | 0.003 |
| Before July 2010 | 13,012 | 28 | 21,034 | 74 | 1.6 (1.1–2.5) | 0.03 |
Number of adverse reactions related to antiretrovirals, nevirapine, and other medicines in 2011 and in the Previous Years (2008 - 2010)
| Adverse Reaction Reports | 2011 | 2008–2010 (previous years) | RR |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
| ||
| Adverse reaction related to antiretroviral medicines | 389 (80.9 %) | 482 (81.3 %) | 1 |
| Total NVP reactions (related to skin and liver) | |||
| Adverse reactions attributed to NVP | 208 (43.2 %) | 99 (16.7 %) | 2.6 |
| NVP skin reactions | |||
| All skin reactions | 150 (31.2 %) | 70 (11.8 %) | 2.6 |
| Severe | 109 (22.7 %) | 33 (5.6 %) | 4.1 |
| Mild/moderate | 41 (8.5 %) | 37 (6.2 %) | 1.4 |
| NVP-liver reactions | |||
| All liver reactions | 58 (12.1 %) | 29 (4.9 %) | 2.5 |
| Severe | 41 (8.5 %) | 13 (2.2 %) | 3.9 |
| Mild/moderate | 13 (2.7 %) | 14 (2.4 %) | 1.1 |
| Unknown grade | 4 (0.83 %) | 2 (0.34 %) | - |
| Other antiretroviral medicine reactions | |||
| Adverse reactions attributed to other medicines | 273 (56.8 %) | 494 (83.3 %) | 0.7 |
The severe skin reaction reports in 2011 included: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (n = 54), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (n = 3), Erythema Multiforme Major (n = 1), Skin reactions with conjunctivitis and oral lesions (51). In the Previous Years the severe reactions included the same reactions but much fewer reports. Note: The adverse reaction reports that never provided any form of description of the type of reaction – e.g., skin rash, were regarded as mild or moderate. The severe liver reaction reports in 2011 included: High alanine aminotransferase i.e., above 5× the upper limit of normal (many were far above this), hyperbilirubinaemia, and some were reported as severe hepatotoxicity. Reports that never provided description of the liver reaction were considered to be mild or moderate
Statistical analysis of the difference between proportions of NVP-related adverse reactions of skin and liver
| % (95 % CI) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adverse reaction type | 2011 | Previous years |
| |
| ARV | Related reactions (all) | 80.9 % (77.4 %–84.4 %) | 81.3 % (78.1 %–84.5 %) | 0.87 |
| NVP-related | Skin and liver | 43.2 % (38.7 %–47.7 %) | 16.7 % (13.7 %–19.7 %) | <0.0001 |
| Skin (all) | 31.2 % (27.0 %–35.5 %) | 11.8 % (9.2 %–14.4 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Skin: severe | 22.7 % (18.9 %–26.5 %) | 5.6 % (3.7 %%–7.5 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Skin: mild/moderate | 8.5 % (6.0 %–11.0 %) | 6.2 % (4.2 %–8.2 %) | 0.16 | |
| Liver (all) | 12.1 % (9.2 %–15.0 %) | 4.9 % (3.1 %–6.7 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Liver: severe | 8.5 % (6.0 %–11.0 %) | 2.2 % (1.0 %–3.4 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Liver: mild/moderate | 2.7 % (1.0 %–4.4 %) | 2.4 % (1.2 %–3.6 %) | 0.73 | |
| Other medicines | Skin and liver | 5.0 % (3.0 %–7.0 %) | 9.9 % (7.5 %–12.3 %) | 0.002 |
| NVP-related reactions for | Females | 29.5 % (25.4 %–33.6 %) | 12.5 % (9.8 %–15.2 %) | <0.0001 |
| Females: severe | 21.6 % (17.9 %–25.3 %) | 5.6 % (3.7 %–7.5 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Females: skin-severe | 17.3 % (13.9 %–20.7 %) | 4.0 % (2.4 %–5.6 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Females: liver-severe | 4.3 % (2.5 %–6.1 %) | 1.5 % (0.5 %–2.5 %) | 0.0072 | |
| Males | 13.7 % (10.6 %–16.8 %) | 3.9 % (2.3 %–5.5 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Males: severe | 9.6 % (6.9 %–12.3 %) | 2.2 % (1.0 %–3.4 %) | <0.0001 | |
| Males: skin-severe | 5.4 % (3.4 %–7.4 %) | 1.5 % (0.5 %–2.5 %) | 0.0007 | |
| Males: liver-severe | 4.2 % (2.4 %–6.0 %) | 0.7 % (0.0 %–1.4 %) | 0.0003 | |
The results in the above table show that there was an increase in proportion of reports of severe reactions to NVP, on the skin and liver. The results also show that there was no increase in the mild and moderate reactions
RRs for NVP- and EFV- related adverse reaction reports
| Category of reaction | NVP | EFV |
|---|---|---|
| Skin | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Liver | 2.5 | 0.4 |
PRR for NVP- and EFV- related adverse reaction reports
| Category of reaction | PRR for NVP | PRR for EFV | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Previous years | 2011 | Previous years | |
| Skin | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Liver | 9.7 | 2.2 | 0.03 | 0.17 |