Induction-Maintenance

DEFINITION

• Initiation of intensive ART regimen followed by simplification or de-intensification after virologic suppression to improve convenience and tolerability and to decrease toxicity. Switches from 4-drug to 3-drug regimens and from standard 3-drug to 1- or 2-drug regimens studied. This is no longer a part of routine antiretroviral therapy management.
• Simplification refers to switching to more-tolerable or less-frequently dosed agents. For example, switching from a twice-a-day regimen to a once-daily single-tablet regimen. This is most commonly done to switch an individual on older agents (e.g., LPV/r) to more potent and tolerable agents. The actual switch depends on the current regimen and the regimen that is expected to work based on known HIV drug resistance mutations and comorbidities.