The Vision of GRACE

GRACE is a unique study

The GRACE Study is the largest clinical study to date in North America of treatment-experienced (TE) adult women with HIV/AIDS to examine gender and race* differences in response to PREZISTA/ritonavir in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) medications.2-4

  • GRACE demonstrated that it is possible to recruit and retain large numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics into US-based HIV/AIDS treatment
    studies    2,3
  • The makeup of the study population— 67% TE women and 33% TE men— represents the population affected by HIV2

*Race was a secondary endpoint. Race analysis is not included on this Web site.

Click on any of the links on the left to learn more.

About the GRACE Study

The GRACE Study looked at whether PREZISTA/r in combination with other ARVs would have a different effect in women compared to men.2

TE women, and particularly women of color, were the focus of the GRACE Study because of the disproportionate effect that HIV/AIDS has in this population throughout the country.2,5

Planning the GRACE Study

Janssen Therapeutics researchers understood the challenges faced by women with HIV/AIDS3:

  • Partnered with practitioners who had experience and expertise treating women, and with community advocates
  • Worked closely with communities nationwide to engage women in their healthcare

Researchers recognized that women with HIV/AIDS have distinctive needs with respect to participating in clinical trials and may require3:

  • Transportation and child care
  • Counseling and/or emotional support from clinicians and other women living with HIV/AIDS
  • Information about benefits and risks of participation in clinical research
  • Additional assistance to stay involved

Support for Women With HIV/AIDS

A full support team for women with HIV/AIDS, particularly women of color, can help them connect to and stay in care for optimal treatment management.

chart-what-is-grace-img

Beyond the study, the company hopes this approach can help women with HIV/AIDS connect to and stay in care.

INDICATION: ADULTS

PREZISTA® (darunavir) tablets, co-administered with ritonavir (PREZISTA/r), and with other antiretroviral agents (ARVs), is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection.

This indication is based on analyses of plasma HIV RNA levels and CD4+ cell counts from 2 controlled Phase 3 trials of 48 weeks' duration in ARV treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients and 2 controlled Phase 2 trials of 96 weeks' duration in clinically advanced, treatment-experienced adult patients.

In treatment-experienced adult patients, the following points should be considered when initiating therapy with PREZISTA/r:

  • Treatment history and, when available, genotypic or phenotypic testing, should guide the use of PREZISTA/r
  • The use of other active agents with PREZISTA/r is associated with a greater likelihood of treatment response

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Drug Interactions

  • Coadministration of PREZISTA/r is contraindicated with drugs that are highly dependent on CYP3A for clearance and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious and/or life-threatening events (eg, alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, pimozide, oral midazolam, triazolam, lovastatin, simvastatin, or sildenafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension)
  • Coadministration of PREZISTA/r is also contraindicated with rifampin and products containing St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) because this may cause significant decrease in plasma concentration of darunavir, resulting in loss of therapeutic effect and development of resistance
  • Coadministration is not recommended with indinavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, saquinavir, pravastatin, salmeterol, and colchicine in patients with hepatic or renal impairment
  • Caution should be used when prescribing agents such as sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, or other substrates, inhibitors, or inducers of CYP3A in patients receiving PREZISTA/r. This list of potential drug interactions is not complete

Warnings & Precautions

  • PREZISTA must be coadministered with ritonavir and food to achieve the desired antiviral effect. Failure to administer PREZISTA with ritonavir and food may result in a loss of efficacy of darunavir. Please refer to ritonavir prescribing information for additional information on precautionary measures
  • Drug-induced hepatitis (eg, acute hepatitis, cytolytic hepatitis) has been reported with PREZISTA/r. During the clinical development program (N=3063), hepatitis has been reported in 0.5% of patients receiving combination therapy with PREZISTA/r. Patients with preexisting liver dysfunction, including chronic active hepatitis B or C, have an increased risk for liver function abnormalities, including severe hepatic adverse events Postmarketing cases of liver injury, including some fatalities, have been reported. A causal relationship with PREZISTA/r therapy has not been established Appropriate laboratory testing should be conducted prior to initiating therapy with PREZISTA/r and patients should be monitored during treatment. Increased AST/ALT monitoring should be considered in patients with underlying chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or in patients who have pretreatment elevations of transaminases, especially during the first several months of PREZISTA/r treatment. Evidence of new or worsening liver dysfunction (including clinically significant elevation of liver enzymes and/or symptoms such as fatigue, anorexia, nausea, jaundice, dark urine, liver tenderness, hepatomegaly) in patients on PREZISTA/r should prompt consideration of interruption or discontinuation of treatment
  • Severe Skin Reactions: Severe skin reactions (0.4%), accompanied by fever and/or elevations of transaminases in some cases, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (<0.1%), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (postmarketing experience) have been reported in patients receiving PREZISTA/r. Discontinue PREZISTA/r immediately if signs or symptoms of severe skin reactions develop (including, but not limited to, severe rash or rash accompanied with fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, and/or eosinophilia) In clinical trials (N=3063), rash (all grades, generally mild to moderate, regardless of causality) occurred in 10.3% of patients receiving PREZISTA/r. Discontinuation due to rash was 0.5%
  • Sulfa Allergy: PREZISTA should be used with caution in patients with known sulfonamide allergy
  • Diabetes Mellitus/Hyperglycemia and Hemophilia: New-onset or exacerbations of preexisting diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, and increased bleeding in hemophiliacs have been reported in patients receiving protease inhibitors. Initiation or dose adjustments of insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents may be required. A causal relationship between protease inhibitors and these events has not been established
  • Fat Redistribution: Redistribution and/or accumulation of body fat have been observed in patients receiving ARV therapy. The causal relationship, mechanism, and long-term consequences of these events have not been established
  • Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with ARV therapy
  • Resistance/Cross-Resistance: The potential for HIV cross-resistance among protease inhibitors has not been fully explored in PREZISTA/r-treated patients

Use in Specific Populations

  • Hepatic impairment: PREZISTA/r is not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment. There are no pharmacokinetic or safety data available in patients with severe hepatic impairment
  • Pregnancy: PREZISTA should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. No adequate and well-controlled studies have been conducted in pregnant women

Adverse Reactions

  • In treatment-naïve adult patients, the most common adverse drug reactions (≥5%) reported of at least moderate intensity (≥Grade 2) in the PREZISTA/r arm through 96 weeks were diarrhea (8%), headache (6%), abdominal pain (5%), and rash (5%)
  • In treatment-experienced adult patients, the most common adverse drug reactions (≥5%) reported of at least moderate intensity (≥Grade 2) in the PREZISTA/r arm through 96 weeks were diarrhea (14%), nausea (7%), rash (7%), abdominal pain (6%), and vomiting (5%)

This is not a complete list of all adverse drug reactions reported with the use of PREZISTA/r.

Please see the full Product Information in PDF format for more details.