A recent report from the World Health Organization revealed some concerning news about the increasing resistance to the HIV drug dolutegravir, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), across the world.
The HIV Drug Resistance or HIVDR report stated that the level of resistance rose from 3.9 percent to 8.6 percent and reached 19.6 percent among people who received treatment and transitioned to a dolutegravir or DTG-containing antiretroviral therapy or ART while having high HIV viral loads.
The report citing observational and survey data from a few countries also indicated that levels of HIVDR to DTG are exceeding levels observed in clinical trials.
The HIVDR also highlighted that Haiti was the only country to report HIV drug resistance among infants who have not received the therapy or infants starting it.
“The worrying evidence of resistance in individuals with unsuppressed viral load despite dolutegravir treatment underscores the necessity for increased vigilance and intensified efforts to optimize the quality of HIV care delivery,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director, WHO Department of the Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programs.
The health regulator has recommended the usage of dolutegravir since 2018 for HIV treatment as it is effective and has fewer side effects than other HIV drugs. In 2022, more than 75 percent of 39 million people with HIV globally received the recommended treatment.
Despite the WHO’s efforts, many countries still failed to achieve established global targets, with many reporting new HIV infections and HIV-related deaths.
“Standardized surveillance of HIV drug resistance is essential for effectively preventing, monitoring, and responding to these challenges”, Doherty suggested.
The global health agency also said that increased resistance had been reported in people taking long-acting injectable cabotegravir or CAB-LA as an additional HIV prevention option.
Further, the report underscored the importance of strengthening data reporting systems, and active engagement by ART clinics and programs in the use of indicator data to minimize the spread of HIV drug resistance.
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