Dolutegravir Trumps Other HIV Meds in Cutting Viral Load

[Jim Allen]

Not really an unexpected result but found it an interesting read.

Full POZ.com writeup: https://www.poz.com/article/dolutegravir-trumps-hiv-meds-cutting-viral-loadeven-missed-doses

In short:

DOLUTECAPS study recruited 399 people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment in France and Switzerland. The participants stayed on their current ARV regimen and were tracked for six months using electronic drug monitoring systems that alerted researchers when they took their pills.

Of the nearly 400 participants, 102 were on a dolutegravir-containing regimen; 90 were on a raltegravir-based regimen, 100 were taking non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and 107 were on a boosted protease inhibitor.

The dolutegravir recipients were divided into three groups, chosen in part because of difficulty remembering to take their regimen every day.

At six months, 17% of people on a dolutegravir regimen still had a detectable viral load compared with 20% of people taking raltegravir, 12% of those taking a NNRTI and 24% of those taking a boosted protease inhibitor.

However, no one on dolutegravir with detectable HIV showed evidence of mutations conferring resistant to integrase inhibitors, the class of drugs to which dolutegravir belongs. Meanwhile, four of the 18 people taking raltegravir, an older integrase inhibitor, showed evidence of resistance.

[CircularNatural]

 

[Bucklandbury]

Presumably bictegravir, which is structurally derived from dolutegravir, is equally good, but I realize the study didn't study that Gilead molecule.

https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2021/7/four-year-biktarvy-data-presented-at-ias-2021-demonstrate-high-efficacy-and-durable-viral-suppression-in-treatment-nave-adults