Kaletra works equally well in different patient groups

Initial treatment regimens containing once-daily or twice-daily dosing of Abbott Laboratories' protease inhibitor Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) tablet provided similar results for reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing CD4 cells in women compared to men and in non-whites compared to whites, according to 48-week data presented at the 2008 International AIDS Conference, held in Mexico City.

The US health care major noted that, through 48 weeks, the proportions of males and females who achieved an undetectable HIV viral load were similar. In addition, the proportions of whites and non-whites who achieved an undetectable HIV viral load were similar. Specifically, 72% of women and 78% of men, and 75% of non-whites and 77% of whites had undetectable HIV viral loads (less than 50 copies/mL) at 48 weeks.

CD4+ cell count mean increases over 48 weeks were similar for females and males, independent of baseline CD4+ cell count, except among women with baseline CD4+ cell counts of fewer than 50 cells/mm3, who experienced statistically-significant greater mean increases in CD4+ cell counts than males. In addition, CD4+ cell count mean increases over 48 weeks were similar for whites and non-whites and the overall rate of moderate-to-severe and related adverse events of diarrhea was 15.8%. A similar rate of diarrhea was observed in whites (17.8%), while non-whites experienced a rate of 9.7%.