Safety and Efficacy of Doravirine (MK-1439) in Participants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) (MK-1439-018) (DRIVE-FORWARD)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02275780 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : October 27, 2014
Results First Posted : October 23, 2018
Last Update Posted : August 22, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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HIV-1 | Drug: Doravirine Drug: Darunavir Drug: Ritonavir Drug: TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ | Phase 3 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 769 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase 3 Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Active Comparator-Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Doravirine (MK-1439) 100 mg Once Daily Versus Darunavir 800 mg Once Daily Plus Ritonavir 100 mg Once Daily, Each in Combination With TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™, in Treatment-Naïve HIV-1 Infected Subjects |
Actual Study Start Date : | December 1, 2014 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | September 29, 2016 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | March 16, 2023 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Doravirine 100 mg
Double-blind Doravirine 100 mg administered orally (p.o.) once daily (q.d.) + investigator selected TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ administered p.o., q.d. for 96 weeks in the Base Study. Eligible participants may continue in Study Extension 1 with open-label Doravirine 100 mg administered p.o., q.d. + investigator selected TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ administered p.o., q.d. for an additional 96 weeks. Eligible participants may continue to receive the same treatment regimen in Study Extension 2 until doravirine becomes locally available, or for an additional 96 weeks, whichever comes first.
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Drug: Doravirine
Doravirine 100 mg tablet administered p.o., q.d. Drug: TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ The investigator selects either TRUVADA™, a tablet containing 200 mg emtricitabine and 300 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, p.o., q.d., or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™, a tablet containing 600 mg abacavir sulfate and 300 mg lamivudine, p.o., q.d. |
Active Comparator: Darunavir 800 mg and Ritonavir 100 mg
Double-blind Darunavir 800 mg and Ritonavir 100 mg administered p.o., q.d. + investigator selected TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ administered p.o., q.d. for 96 weeks. Eligible participants may continue in Study Extension 1 with open-label Doravirine 100 mg administered p.o., q.d. + investigator selected TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ administered p.o., q.d. for an additional 96 weeks. Eligible participants may continue to receive the same treatment regimen in Study Extension 2 until doravirine becomes locally available, or for an additional 96 weeks, whichever comes first.
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Drug: Doravirine
Doravirine 100 mg tablet administered p.o., q.d. Drug: Darunavir Darunavir 800 mg tablet administered p.o., q.d. Drug: Ritonavir Ritonavir 100 mg tablet administered p.o., q.d. Drug: TRUVADA™ or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™ The investigator selects either TRUVADA™, a tablet containing 200 mg emtricitabine and 300 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, p.o., q.d., or EPZICOM™/KIVEXA™, a tablet containing 600 mg abacavir sulfate and 300 mg lamivudine, p.o., q.d. |
- Percentage of Participants Achieving Plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 Copies/mL at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Week 48 ]The percentage of participants in each arm achieving HIV-1 RNA levels <50 copies/mL at Week 48 was determined. Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were quantified with the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay. Data were handled according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "snapshot" approach and all missing data were considered treatment failures, regardless of the reason.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving Plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 Copies/mL at Week 96 [ Time Frame: Week 96 ]The percentage of participants in each arm achieving HIV-1 RNA levels <50 copies/mL at Week 96 was determined. Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were quantified with the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay. Data were handled according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "snapshot" approach and all missing data were considered treatment failures, regardless of the reason.
- Change From Baseline in Mean CD4+ T-cell Count at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]CD4+ T-cell counts were quantified by a central laboratory using a commercially available assay.
- Change From Baseline in Mean CD4+ T-cell Count at Week 96 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 96 ]CD4+ T-cell counts were quantified by a central laboratory using a commercially available assay.
- Mean Change From Baseline in Fasting Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]Serum LDL-C was determined after an overnight fast. Change from Baseline was analyzed using ANCOVA models with terms for Baseline lipid level and treatment group. The Last Observation Carry Forward (LOCF) approach was applied for missing data or data collected after modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
- Mean Change From Baseline in Fasting Non-High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (Non-HDL-C) at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]Serum non-HDL-C was determined after an overnight fast. Change from Baseline was analyzed using ANCOVA models with terms for Baseline lipid level and treatment group. The LOCF approach was applied for missing data or data collected after modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
- Mean Change From Baseline in Fasting High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]Serum HDL-C was determined after an overnight fast. Change from Baseline was analyzed using ANCOVA models with terms for Baseline lipid level and treatment group. The LOCF approach was applied for missing data or data collected after modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
- Mean Change From Baseline in Fasting Total Cholesterol at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]Serum total cholesterol was determined after an overnight fast. Change from Baseline was analyzed using ANCOVA models with terms for Baseline lipid level and treatment group. The LOCF approach was applied for missing data or data collected after modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
- Mean Change From Baseline in Fasting Triglyceride at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 48 ]Serum triglyceride was determined after an overnight fast. Change from Baseline was analyzed using ANCOVA models with terms for Baseline lipid level and treatment group. The LOCF approach was applied for missing data or data collected after modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
- Percentage of Participants With Any Adverse Event [ Time Frame: Up to 98 weeks ]An adverse event (AE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a study participant and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship to treatment. An adverse event can therefore be any unfavourable and unintended sign, symptom, or disease temporally associated with the study treatment or protocol-specified procedure, whether or not considered related to study treatment or protocol-specified procedure. Any worsening of a preexisting condition that is temporally associated with the study treatment is also an AE. The percentage of participants with any AE was assessed.
- Percentage of Participants With Any Serious Adverse Event [ Time Frame: Up to 98 weeks ]A serious adverse event is an AE that results in death, is life threatening, results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, results in or prolongs a hospitalization, is a congenital anomaly or birth defect, is a cancer, is associated with an overdose, or is another important medical event. The percentage of participants with any SAE was assessed.
- Percentage of Participants With Any Drug-related Adverse Event [ Time Frame: Up to 98 weeks ]The investigator was to determine if an AE had a reasonable possibility of a relationship to the study drug. The percentage of participants with any drug-related AE was assessed.
- Percentage of Participants With Any Drug-related Serious Adverse Event [ Time Frame: Up to 98 weeks ]The percentage of participants with any drug-related SAE was assessed.
- Percentage of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event [ Time Frame: Up to 96 weeks ]The percentage of participants who discontinued study treatment due to an AE was assessed.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving Plasma HIV-1 RNA <40 Copies/mL at Week 48 [ Time Frame: Week 48 ]The percentage of participants in each arm achieving HIV-1 RNA levels <40 copies/mL at Week 48 was determined. Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were quantified with the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay. Data were handled according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "snapshot" approach and all missing data were considered treatment failures, regardless of the reason.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving Plasma HIV-1 RNA <40 Copies/mL at Week 96 [ Time Frame: Week 96 ]The percentage of participants in each arm achieving HIV-1 RNA levels <40 copies/mL at Week 96 was determined. Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were quantified with the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay. Data were handled according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "snapshot" approach and all missing data were considered treatment failures, regardless of the reason.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Is HIV-1 positive and has HIV treatment indicated based on physician assessment.
- Has received no (0 days of) antiretroviral therapy (ART), including investigational antiretroviral agents.
- Is considered clinically stable with no signs or symptoms of active infection for at least 2 weeks prior to the start of treatment.
- Female is highly unlikely to become pregnant, or male is highly unlikely to impregnate a partner because they are not of reproductive potential, or agree to practice abstinence or use acceptable contraception for up to 14 days after the last dose of study drug.
- Eligibility for the Study Extension 1 at the Week 96 visit: 1) completed the Week 96 visit, 2) derived benefit from participation through Week 96 in the opinion of the investigator, 3) is a clinically-appropriate candidate for an additional 96 weeks of treatment with the Study Extension regimen.
- Eligibility for the Study Extension 2 at the Week 192 visit: 1) completed the Week 192 visit, 2) derived benefit from participation through Week 192 in the opinion of the investigator, 3) is a clinically-appropriate candidate for 96 weeks of treatment with the Study Extension regimen.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Uses or has had a recent history of using recreational or illicit drugs.
- Has been treated for a viral infection other than HIV-1, such as hepatitis B, with an agent that is active against HIV-1.
- Has documented or known resistance to study drugs including doravirine, darunavir, ritonavir, emtricitabine, tenofovir, abacavir and/or lamivudine.
- Has participated in a study with an investigational compound/device within the prior month, or anticipates doing so during this study.
- Has used systemic immunosuppressive therapy or immune modulators within the prior 30 days, or anticipates doing so during this study.
- Has significant hypersensitivity or other contraindication to any of the components of the study drugs.
- Has a current (active) diagnosis of acute hepatitis due to any cause.
- Is pregnant, breastfeeding or expecting to conceive at any time during the study.
- Female who expects to donate eggs, or male who expects to donate sperm at any time during the study.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02275780
Study Director: | Medical Director | Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC |
Responsible Party: | Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02275780 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
1439-018 MK-1439-018 ( Other Identifier: Merck Protocol Number ) 2014-001127-69 ( EudraCT Number ) |
First Posted: | October 27, 2014 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | October 23, 2018 |
Last Update Posted: | August 22, 2022 |
Last Verified: | August 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf |
URL: | http://engagezone.msd.com/ds_documentation.php |
Ritonavir Darunavir Emtricitabine, Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Drug Combination HIV Protease Inhibitors Viral Protease Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action |
Anti-HIV Agents Anti-Retroviral Agents Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors |