T20QoL: an observational multicenter cohort study to evaluate the quality of life in HIV-patients treated with enfuvirtide (ENF, T-20) in combination with an optimized background therapy

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Authors: R Bucciardini, M Massella, A Corpolongo, P Narciso, V Fragola, et al

Published Date September 2008 Volume 2008:2(3) Pages 577 - 581

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/BTT.S3187

R Bucciardini¹, M Massella¹, A Corpolongo², P Narciso², V Fragola¹, M Mirra¹, S Donnini¹, O Viganò³, S Costarelli⁴, V Tozzi²

¹Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; ²IRCCS L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy; ³Ospedale L. Sacco, Milan, Italy; ⁴Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Aim: To evaluate the impact of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) enfuvirtide-based (ENF-based) salvage regimens of treatment-experienced HIV patients, in an observational multicenter cohort study.

Methods: HRQoL was measured in a cohort of 16 patients over a 6-month follow-up using 2 instruments: the ISSQoL (Istituto Superiore di Sanità Quality of Life), a recently validated HIV-specific questionnaire; the EQ-5D (EuroQol), a generic widely used instrument. ENF was given at standard dosage along with an optimized background regimen.

Results: Most of HRQoL dimensions showed improvement in ENF-treated patients at the post-baseline time points. Social functioning was the only dimension showing a negative effect. Monthly care costs of antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients taking ENF plus an optimized background regimen were approximately €2,348 per patient-month (range €382– €2,940).

Conclusion: Our results show that the addition of ENF to an optimized background salvage-HAART may positively affect HRQoL not only in clinical trials but also in a sample population of patients used in a routine clinical practice.

Keywords: enfuvirtide, HRQoL, HIV

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