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

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.