Nevirapine pharmacokinetics when initiated at 200 mg or 400 mg daily in HIV-1 and tuberculosis co-infected Ugandan adults on rifampicin

Abstract

In resource-poor countries, HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection results in significant morbidity and mortality. Co-treatment is recommended by the WHO;1 however, drug interactions are common between anti-TB regimens containing rifampicin and antiretroviral drugs. In these settings, rifampicin is a key drug for TB treatment because alternative rifamycins are more expensive and usually not available in public TB control programmes. Similarly, for HIV treatment, only a limited number of antiretroviral drugs are routinely used. The problems arising from limited drug options are compounded by the wide use of fixed-dose combination (FDC) formulations for both diseases. When these formulations are used, drug substitutions are not possible and dose adjustments are usually difficult.