AIDS 2014ViiV Healthcare’s recently approved integrase inhibitor Tivicay (dolutegravir) suppresses HIV at high rates even among treatment-experienced people with resistance to nucleotide/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs, or nukes), aidsmap reports. Researchers conducted a post-hoc combined analysis of the virologic outcomes of various Phase III trials of regimens based on Tivicay. They presented their findings at the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne, Australia.

The SPRING-2, SINGLE and FLAMINGO trials included treatment-naive participants, and the SAILING study looked at Tivicay’s success in suppressing HIV in treatment-experienced participants who were integrase inhibitor-naive and who had resistance to two or more other antiretroviral classes.

None of the treatment-naive participants taking Tivicay with two nukes developed any drug resistance through 48 weeks or 96 weeks.

The SAILING study compared Tivicay-based regimens with those based on the integrase inhibitor Isentress (raltegravir). It found that 71 percent of those in the Tivicay group had a fully suppressed viral load at 48 weeks, compared with 64 percent of those taking Isentress. Among those with NRTI resistance who took two nukes as a background regimen, none experienced virologic failure when taking Tivicay, while 22 percent of those taking Isentress experienced virologic failure.

Among those in SAILING who did experience virologic failure, significantly fewer in the Tivicay group developed drug resistance when compared with the Isentress group: A respective 1 percent and 5 percent developed integrase inhibitor resistance, and a respective 1 and 3 percent developed resistance to the other drugs in the regimen.

To read the aidsmap story, click here.

To read the conference abstract, click here.