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Development of HIV-1 prevention methods is a global priority. In this randomized, controlled trial in sub-Saharan Africa, a vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral dapivirine was 27% effective in protecting against HIV-1 acquisition. More than half of the 35 million persons currently living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are women. A majority of these women reside in sub-Saharan Africa, 1 a region that has some of the highest incidences of HIV-1 infection in any population worldwide. 2 – 4 The use of antiretroviral medications as pre-exposure prophylaxis is a promising approach to the prevention of HIV-1 acquisition. 5 Several clinical trials of the antiretroviral tenofovir showed such protection against HIV-1. 2 , 6 – 8 However, in three trials involving African women, adherence to tenofovir-containing pills and vaginal gels was low, and HIV-1 protection was not shown. . . .

Islatravir (MK-8591) is a highly potent type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor with a long intracellular half-life that is in development for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial in adults without HIV-1 infection. Participants received islatravir or placebo subdermal implants for 12 weeks and were monitored throughout this period and after implant removal. The co-primary end points were safety and tolerability of the islatravir implant and pharmacokinetics, including concentration at day 85, of islatravir triphosphate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Secondary end points included additional pharmacokinetic parameters for islatravir triphosphate in PBMCs and the plasma pharmacokinetic profile of islatravir. Based on preclinical data, two doses were assessed: 54 mg ( n  = 8, two placebo) and 62 mg ( n  = 8, two placebo). The most frequently reported adverse events were mild-to-moderate implant-site reactions (induration, hematoma, pain). Throughout the 12-week trial, geometric mean islatravir triphosphate concentrations were above a pharmacokinetic threshold of 0.05 pmol per 10 6 PBMCs, which was estimated to provide therapeutic reverse transcriptase inhibition (concentration at day 85 (percentage of geometric coefficient of variation): 54 mg, 0.135 pmol per 10 6 cells (27.3); 62 mg, 0.272 pmol per 10 6 cells (45.2)). Islatravir implants at both doses were safe and resulted in mean concentrations above the pharmacokinetic threshold through 12 weeks, warranting further investigation of islatravir implants as a potential HIV prevention strategy. A subdermal implant of the HIV-1 antiretroviral islatravir delivers sustained drug release over 12 weeks in humans.

In this open-label, randomized trial conducted in seven sub-Saharan African countries, patients for whom an initial HIV-1 treatment regimen had failed were switched to a second-line regimen of either dolutegravir or darunavir plus either tenofovir or zidovudine. Dolutegravir was noninferior to darunavir and tenofovir was noninferior to zidovudine in their effects on viral suppression at 48 weeks.

The global transition to use of dolutegravir (DTG) in WHO-preferred regimens for HIV treatment is limited by lack of knowledge on use in pregnancy. Here we assessed the relationship between drug concentrations (pharmacokinetics, PK), including in breastmilk, and impact on viral suppression when initiated in the third trimester (T3). In DolPHIN-1, HIV-infected treatment-naïve pregnant women (28-36 weeks of gestation, age 26 (19-42), weight 67kg (45-119), all Black African) in Uganda and South Africa were randomised 1:1 to dolutegravir (DTG) or efavirenz (EFV)-containing ART until 2 weeks post-partum (2wPP), between 9th March 2017 and 16th January 2018, with follow-up until six months postpartum. The primary endpoint was pharmacokinetics of DTG in women and breastfed infants; secondary endpoints included maternal and infant safety and viral suppression. Intensive pharmacokinetic sampling of DTG was undertaken at day 14 and 2wPP following administration of a medium-fat breakfast, with additional paired sampling between maternal plasma and cord blood, breastmilk and infant plasma. No differences in median baseline maternal age, gestation (31 vs 30 weeks), weight, obstetric history, viral load (4.5 log10 copies/mL both arms) and CD4 count (343 vs 466 cells/mm3) were observed between DTG (n = 29) and EFV (n = 31) arms. Although DTG Ctrough was below the target 324ng/mL (clinical EC90) in 9/28 (32%) mothers in the third trimester, transfer across the placenta (121% of plasma concentrations) and into breastmilk (3% of plasma concentrations), coupled with slower elimination, led to significant infant plasma exposures (3-8% of maternal exposures). Both regimens were well-tolerated with no significant differences in frequency of adverse events (two on DTG-ART, one on EFV-ART, all considered unrelated to drug). No congenital abnormalities were observed. DTG resulted in significantly faster viral suppression (P = 0.02) at the 2wPP visit, with median time to <50 copies/mL of 32 vs 72 days. Limitations related to the requirement to initiate EFV-ART prior to randomisation, and to continue DTG for only two weeks postpartum. Despite low plasma DTG exposures in the third trimester, transfer across the placenta and through breastfeeding was observed in this study, with persistence in infants likely due to slower metabolic clearance. HIV RNA suppression <50 copies/mL was twice as fast with DTG compared to EFV, suggesting DTG has potential to reduce risk of vertical transmission in mothers who are initiated on treatment late in pregnancy. clinicaltrials.gov NCT02245022.

Preventing HIV-1 infection, especially with female-controlled approaches, is a high priority. In this trial in South Africa and Uganda, a dapivirine vaginal ring was associated with a rate of acquisition of HIV-1 infection that was approximately 30% lower than that with placebo. In 2014, approximately 36.9 million people worldwide were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. 1 Rates of new HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women remain high in Eastern and Southern Africa, 2 which underscores the need for the development of safe and effective tools against HIV infection that women initiate themselves. 3 – 5 Self-inserted vaginal rings, which provide a sustained release of antiretroviral drugs over time, have the potential to offer women a prevention option that does not require daily or pericoital use. 6 The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) developed a monthly self-administered vaginal ring that contains the nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase . . .

Whether long-term suppression of replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has any beneficial effect on regression of advanced liver fibrosis associated with chronic HBV infection remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effects on fibrosis and cirrhosis of at least 5 years' treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) in chronic HBV infection. After 48 weeks of randomised double-blind comparison (trials NCT00117676 and NCT00116805) of tenofovir DF with adefovir dipivoxil, participants (positive or negative for HBeAg) were eligible to enter a 7-year study of open-label tenofovir DF treatment, with a pre-specified repeat liver biopsy at week 240. We assessed histological improvement (≥2 point reduction in Knodell necroinflammatory score with no worsening of fibrosis) and regression of fibrosis (≥1 unit decrease by Ishak scoring system). Of 641 patients who received randomised treatment, 585 (91%) entered the open-label phase, and 489 (76%) completed 240 weeks. 348 patients (54%) had biopsy results at both baseline and week 240. 304 (87%) of the 348 had histological improvement, and 176 (51%) had regression of fibrosis at week 240 (p<0·0001). Of the 96 (28%) patients with cirrhosis (Ishak score 5 or 6) at baseline, 71 (74%) no longer had cirrhosis (≥1 unit decrease in score), whereas three of 252 patients without cirrhosis at baseline progressed to cirrhosis at year 5 (p<0·0001). Virological breakthrough occurred infrequently and was not due to resistance to tenofovir DF. The safety profile was favourable: 91 (16%) patients had adverse events but only nine patients had serious events related to the study drug. In patients with chronic HBV infection, up to 5 years of treatment with tenofovir DF was safe and effective. Long-term suppression of HBV can lead to regression of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Gilead Sciences.

In Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 treatment-naive adults, a fixed combination of doravirine/lamivudine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate demonstrated non-inferior antiretroviral efficacy to efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate at week 48, with similar immunologic effects, low viral drug resistance rates, and significantly fewer neuropsychiatric adverse events. Abstract Background Doravirine (DOR), a novel non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), is active against wild-type Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 and the most common NNRTI-resistant variants, and has a favorable and unique in vitro resistance profile. Methods DRIVE-AHEAD is a phase 3, double-blind, non-inferiority trial. Antiretroviral treatment-naive adults with ≥1000 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL were randomized (1:1) to once-daily, fixed-dose DOR at 100 mg, lamivudine at 300 mg, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) at 300 mg (DOR/3TC/TDF) or to efavirenz at 600 mg, emtricitabine at 200 mg, and TDF at 300 mg (EFV/FTC/TDF) for 96 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of participants with <50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL at week 48 (Food and Drug Administration snapshot approach; non-inferiority margin 10%). Results Of the 734 participants randomized, 728 were treated (364 per group) and included in the analyses. At week 48, 84.3% (307/364) of DOR/3TC/TDF recipients and 80.8% (294/364) of EFV/FTC/TDF recipients achieved <50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL (difference 3.5%, 95% CI, -2.0, 9.0). DOR/3TC/TDF recipients had significantly lower rates of dizziness (8.8% vs 37.1%), sleep disorders/disturbances (12.1% vs 25.2%), and altered sensorium (4.4% vs 8.2%) than EFV/FTC/TDF recipients. Mean changes in fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) were significantly different between DOR/3TC/TDF and EFV/FTC/TDF (−1.6 vs +8.7 mg/dL and −3.8 vs +13.3 mg/dL, respectively). Conclusions In HIV-1 treatment-naive adults, DOR/3TC/TDF demonstrated non-inferior efficacy to EFV/FTC/TDF at week 48 and was well tolerated, with significantly fewer neuropsychiatric events and minimal changes in LDL-C and non-HDL-C compared with EFV/FTC/TDF. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02403674

In phase 1 trials, the HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor cabotegravir (GSK1265744) was well tolerated, both alone, and in combination with the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor rilpivirine. We assessed cabotegravir plus rilpivirine, as a two-drug oral antiretroviral regimen, for the maintenance of viral suppression in antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected individuals. In the phase 2b Long-Acting antireTroviral Treatment Enabling (LATTE) trial, a multicentre study done in Canada and the USA, antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected adults (aged ≥18 years) were randomly allocated in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to oral cabotegravir 10 mg once a day, 30 mg once a day, 60 mg once a day, or oral efavirenz 600 mg once a day with dual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for 24 weeks of induction. Patients who were virologically suppressed by week 24 received a two-drug maintenance regimen consisting of their randomly allocated cabotegravir dose plus oral rilpivirine 25 mg or continued efavirenz plus NRTIs for an additional 72 weeks. Patients and investigators were masked to doses of cabotegravir received for 96 weeks, but not to the assignment of cabotegravir or efavirenz. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with fewer than 50 copies per mL of HIV-1 RNA (US Food and Drug Administration snapshot algorithm) at week 48. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01641809. Of 243 patients randomly allocated and treated, 156 (86%) of 181 patients in the cabotegravir groups (52 [87%] of 60, 51 [85%] of 60, and 53 [87%] of 61 patients in the 10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg groups, respectively) and 46 (74%) of 62 in the efavirenz group had fewer than 50 copies per mL of HIV-1 RNA after induction therapy. After patients in the cabotegravir groups were changed over from dual NRTIs to rilpivirine at week 24, 149 (82%; 95% CI 77–88) patients in the cabotegravir groups (48 [80%; 70–90], 48 [80%; 70–90], and 53 [87%; 78–95] patients in the 10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg groups, respectively) versus 44 (71%; 60–82) in the efavirenz group were virologically suppressed at week 48, and 137 (76%; 69–82) receiving cabotegravir (41 [68%; 57–80], 45 [75%; 64–86], and 51 [84%; 74–93] patients in the 10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg groups, respectively) versus 39 (63%; 51–75) in the efavirenz group were virologically suppressed at week 96. Treatment-related adverse events were reported by 93 (51%) cabotegravir-treated patients (28 [47%], 32 [53%], and 33 [54%] patients in the 10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg groups, respectively) and 42 (68%) efavirenz-treated patients. Six (3%) patients in the cabotegravir groups (one [2%], one [2%], and four [7%] patients in the 10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg groups, respectively) withdrew because of treatment-emergent adverse events compared with nine (15%) in the efavirenz group. Cabotegravir plus dual NRTI therapy had potent antiviral activity during the induction phase. As a two-drug maintenance therapy, cabotegravir plus rilpivirine provided antiviral activity similar to efavirenz plus dual NRTIs until the end of week 96. Combined efficacy and safety results lend support to our selection of oral cabotegravir 30 mg once a day for further assessment. LATTE precedes studies of the assessment of longacting injectable formulations of both drugs as a two-drug regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. ViiV Healthcare and Janssen Research and Development.

Dolutegravir (S/GSK1349572) is a new HIV-1 integrase inhibitor that has antiviral activity with once daily, unboosted dosing. SPRING-1 is an ongoing study designed to select a dose for phase 3 assessment. We present data from preplanned primary and interim analyses. In a phase 2b, multicentre, dose-ranging study, treatment-naive adults were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive 10 mg, 25 mg, or 50 mg dolutegravir or 600 mg efavirenz. Dose but not drug allocation was masked. Randomisation was by a central integrated voice-response system according to a computer-generated code. Study drugs were given with either tenofovir plus emtricitabine or abacavir plus lamivudine. Our study was done at 34 sites in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and the USA beginning on July 9, 2009. Eligible participants were seropositive for HIV-1, aged 18 years or older, and had plasma HIV RNA viral loads of at least 1000 copies per mL and CD4 counts of at least 200 cells per μL. Our primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with viral load of less than 50 copies per mL at week 16 and we present data to week 48. Analyses were done on the basis of allocation group and included all participants who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00951015. 205 patients were randomly allocated and received at least one dose of study drug: 53, 51, and 51 to receive 10 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg dolutegravir, respectively, and 50 to receive efavirenz. Week 16 response rates to viral loads of at most 50 copies per mL were 93% (144 of 155 participants) for all doses of dolutegravir (with little difference between dose groups) and 60% (30 of 50) for efavirenz; week 48 response rates were 87% (139 of 155) for all doses of dolutegravir and 82% (41 of 50) for efavirenz. Response rates between nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor subgroups were similar. We identified three virological failures in the dolutegravir groups and one in the efavirenz group—we did not identify any integrase inhibitor mutations. We did not identify any dose-related clinical or laboratory toxic effects, with more drug-related adverse events of moderate-or-higher intensity in the efavirenz group (20%) than the dolutegravir group (8%). We did not judge that any serious adverse events were related to dolutegravir. Dolutegravir was effective when given once daily without a pharmacokinetic booster and was well tolerated at all assessed doses. Our findings support the assessment of once daily 50 mg dolutegravir in phase 3 trials. Shionogi-GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, LLC, now Shionogi-ViiV Healthcare, LLC.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection is a common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Strategies to decrease transmission are needed. In this report from South Africa, vaginal tenofovir gel was shown to decrease HSV-2 acquisition in women. Globally, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is among the most common sexually transmitted infections and is the leading cause of genital ulcers. Available global estimates indicate that in 2012 approximately 417 million sexually active adults 15 to 49 years of age had an existing prevalent HSV-2 infection. 1 A U.S. survey covering the period from 1999 through 2010 showed a 15.7% prevalence of HSV-2 among persons 14 to 49 years of age. 2 Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected region of the world; up to 80% of sexually active women and up to 50% of sexually active men are . . .