Efavirenz, a non-
nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) is one of the most commonly prescribed antiretroviral drugs. The present article provides a systematic overview and meta-analysis of clinical trials comparing
efavirenz and other active drugs currently recommended for treatment of HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naive patients. Electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Trip Database) were searched up till 23 December 2013 for randomized controlled clinical trials published as a peer-reviewed papers, and concerning
efavirenz-based regimens used as initial treatment for
HIV infection. Thirty-four studies were included in the systematic review, while twenty-six trials were suitable for the meta-analysis.
Efavirenz was compared with drugs from four different classes: NNRTIs other than
efavirenz (
nevirapine or
rilpivirine),
integrase strand transfer inhibitors (InSTIs),
ritonavir-boosted
protease inhibitors (bPI) and
chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) antagonists (
maraviroc), all of them were added to the background regimen. Results of the current meta-analysis showed that
efavirenz-based regimens were equally effective as other recommended regimens based on NNRTI,
ritonavir-boosted PI or CCR5 antagonist in terms of efficacy outcomes (
disease progression and/or death, plasma viral HIV
RNA <50 copies/ml) while statistically significant more patients treated with InSTI achieved plasma viral load <50 copies/ml at week 48. In comparison with both InSTI-based and CCR5-based
therapy,
efavirenz-based treatment was associated with a higher risk of
therapy discontinuation due to adverse events. However, comparisons of efevirenz-based treatment with InSTI-based and CCR5-based
therapy were based on a limited number of trials, therefore, conclusions from these two comparisons must be confirmed in further reliable randomized controlled studies. Results of our meta-analysis support the present clinical guidelines for antiretroviral-naive, HIV-infected patients, in which
efavirenz is one of the most preferred regimens in the analyzed population. Beneficial safety profile of InSTI-based and CCR5-based
therapy over
efavirenz-based treatment needs further studies.