Abacavir/Lamivudine Versus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Both In Combination With Lopinavir/Ritonavir For The Treatment Of HIV (HEAT)

Inclusion criteria:

• Males as females at least 18 years old. (A female is eligible to enter and participate in this study if she is of: non child-bearing potential, child bearing potential with a negative pregnancy test and agrees to approved contraception methods, or agreement for complete abstinence.)
• Subject is antiretroviral-naïve (defined as having ≤14 days of prior therapy with any NRTI and no prior therapy with either a PI or NNRTI).
• Subject has plasma HIV-1 RNA ≥ 1,000 copies/mL at screening.
• Subject is willing and able to understand and provide written informed consent prior to participation in this study.

Exclusion criteria:

• Subject has an active or acute CDC Clinical Category C event (exclusive of cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma) at screening. Treatment for the acute event must have been completed at least 30 days prior to screening.
• Subject is enrolled in one or more investigational drug protocols, which may impact HIV-1 RNA suppression.
• Subject is, in the opinion of the investigator, unable to complete the 96-week dosing period and protocol evaluations and assessments.
• Subject is either pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Subject has an ongoing clinically relevant pancreatitis or clinically relevant hepatitis at screening.
• Subject suffers from a serious medical condition, such as cirrhosis, diabetes, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy or other cardiac dysfunction, which in the opinion of the investigator would compromise the safety of the subject.
• Subject has a pre-existing mental, physical, or substance abuse disorder which, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with the subject's ability to comply with the dosing schedule and protocol evaluations and assessments.
• Subject has a history of inflammatory bowel disease or malignancy, intestinal ischemia, malabsorption, or other gastrointestinal dysfunction which may interfere with drug absorption or render the subject unable to take oral medication.
• Subject has any acute laboratory abnormality at screening, which, in the opinion of the investigator, precludes the subject's participation in the study of an investigational compound. Any grade 4 laboratory abnormality will exclude a subject from study participation.
• Subject has estimated creatinine clearance <50 mL/min via Cockroft-Gault method.
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN).
• Subject has required treatment with radiation therapy or cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents within 28 days prior to screening, or has an anticipated need for these agents within the study period.
• Subject requires treatment with immunomodulating agents (such as systemic corticosteroids, interleukins, vaccines, or interferons) within 28 days prior to Screen, or subject has received an HIV-1 immunotherapeutic vaccine within 90 days prior to Screen. Asthmatic subjects using inhaled corticosteroids are eligible for enrollment.
• Subject requires treatment with foscarnet, hydroxyurea or other agents with documented activity against HIV-1 in vitro within 28 days of study administration.
• Subjects who require treatment with the prohibited medications within 28 days of commencement of investigational product, or an anticipated need during the study.
• Subject has a history of allergy to any of the study drugs or any excipients therein