GPP   We recommend following discussion, if a patient with a CD4 cell count >350 cells/μL wishes to start ART to reduce the risk of transmission to partners, this decision is respected and ART is started. GPP a Abacavir is contraindicated if HLA-B*57:01 positive. 5.3 We recommend therapy-naïve patients start combination ART containing tenofovir (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC) see more as the NRTI backbone. 1A   We suggest abacavir (ABC) and lamivudine (3TC) is an acceptable alternative NRTI backbone in therapy-naïve patients who, before starting ART, have baseline

viral load (VL) of ≤100 000 copies/mL. 2A   ABC must not be used in patients who are HLA-B*57:01 positive. 1A 5.4 We recommend therapy-naïve patients start combination ART containing one of the following as the third agent: atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r), darunavir/ritonavir (DRV/r), efavirenz (EFV), raltegravir (RAL) or elvitegravir (ELV)/cobicistat (COBI). 1A   We suggest that in therapy-naïve patients lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and fosamprenavir/ritonavir (FPV/r) are acceptable alternative PIs, and nevirapine (NVP) is an acceptable alternative NNRTI. 2A 5.5 We recommend against the use of PI monotherapy as initial therapy for treatment-naïve

patients. 1C   We recommend against the use of PI-based dual ART with a single NRTI, NNRTI, C–C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) receptor antagonist or INI as initial therapy for treatment-naïve patients. 1C 6.1.1 We recommend adherence and click here potential barriers to it are assessed and discussed with the patient whenever ART is prescribed or dispensed. GPP   We recommend adherence support should address both perceptual barriers (e.g. beliefs and preferences) and/or practical barriers (e.g. limitations in capacity and resources) to adherence. GPP 6.2.1 We recommend that potential adverse pharmacokinetic interactions between ARV drugs and other concomitant medications are checked before administration (with tools such as http://www.hiv-druginteractions.org). GPP 6.2.2 We recommend against the unselected use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). GPP 6.2.3 We recommend patients stopping ART containing an NNRTI in combination with an NRTI backbone

replace all drugs with a PI (LPV/r) for 4 weeks. 1C   We recommend patients stopping a PI-containing regimen stop all drugs simultaneously and no replacement CYTH4 is required. 1C 6.3.2 We recommend in patients on suppressive ART regimens, consideration is given to differences in side effect profile, drug–drug interaction (DDIs) and drug resistance patterns before switching any ARV component. GPP   We recommend, in patients with previous NRTI resistance mutations, against switching a PI/r to either an NNRTI or an INI as the third agent. 1B 6.3.3 We recommend continuing standard combination ART as the maintenance strategy in virologically suppressed patients. There are insufficient data to recommend PI/r monotherapy in this clinical situation. 1C 6.