Short-Cycle Therapy in Adolescents Following Continuous Therapy with Established Viral Suppression: The Impact on Viral Load Suppression

A prospective proof of concept study of subjects who had successfully suppressed their HIV-1 RNA levels for a minimum of 6 months prior to study entry on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) including a protease inhibitor (PI). The study assessed the impact of switching from continuous HAART with a PI to short-cycle therapy (SCT). The primary objective was to show that the rate of viral load rebound on SCT does not exceed that which would be expected in subjects on continuous therapy. While maintenance of viral load suppression can be viewed as either a safety or efficacy endpoint, the trial was construed as an assessment of safety. The study was co-endorsed by the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG).