Dovato, a single-tablet regimen containing dolutegravir and lamivudine, can be a good option for people with advanced HIV who are starting antiretroviral therapy for the first time. The Phase IV DOLCE trial assessed the efficacy of Dovato for previously untreated adults with a CD4 count below 200, meaning they meet the criteria for AIDS. The 230 participants were randomized to receive Dovato or dolutegravir plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine or tenofovir alafenamide/-emtricitabine. The regimens were comparably effective at 48 weeks: 82% of people on Dovato and 80% of those on a three-drug regimen had an undetectable viral load. Among people with a high baseline viral load, 74% and 67%, respectively, achieved viral suppression. Time to viral suppression and CD4 cell gains were also similar. Dovato is currently approved for people with no history of treatment failure and no known viral mutations associated with resistance to dolutegravir or lamivudine, but another Phase IV trial found that Dovato is also a feasible option when drug resistance testing is unavailable.