Etravirine: clinical review of a treatment option for HIV type-1-infected patients with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistance

Despite our progressive understanding of HIV type-1 (HIV-1) infection and the development of a number of antiretroviral agents to delay the onset of AIDS, there remains a need for agents with improved efficacy and safety. In particular, therapy options for treatment-experienced adult patients have been limited by the presence of drug-resistant virus, which often leads to a reduced virological response in these patients. The recently approved non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor etravirine has demonstrated durable and superior efficacy over placebo and a favourable tolerability profile in HIV-1-infected, treatment-experienced patients, offering a valuable new therapeutic option. This review examines the clinical development and drug profile of etravirine, placing it in the context of other antiretrovirals available for treatment-experienced patients.