Emergence of dual antiretroviral therapy as a viable regimen option for the treatment of patients with HIV infection

Drugs Today (Barc). 2020 Jun;56(6):405-421. doi: 10.1358/dot.2020.56.6.3131482.

Abstract

Current antiretroviral therapy is not curative. The need for life-long therapy brings with it concerns regarding long-term toxicity and cost. Thus, investigations into simpler regimens with comparable efficacy and improved safety have been undertaken and continue to be conducted. Various 2-drug combinations have been evaluated with variable results. The combinations of dolutegravir plus lamivudine and dolutegravir plus rilpivirine were found to be comparable in efficacy to conventional 3-drug regimens and have now been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have entered into clinical practice. Dolutegravir/rilpivirine was approved for the treatment of adults with HIV-1 infection whose virus has been suppressed on a stable regimen for at least 6 months, with no history of treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to the individual components of the combination. Dolutegravir/lamivudine was approved for the treatment of HIV infection in adults with no antiretroviral treatment history and with no known or suspected resistance to the individual components of the combination.

Keywords: (Non)nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (N)NRTIs; Anti-HIV agents; Antiretroviral therapy; Infections; Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs); Protease inhibitors (PIs); Treatment of HIV/AIDS.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Lamivudine / therapeutic use*
  • Oxazines
  • Piperazines
  • Pyridones
  • Rilpivirine / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring
  • Oxazines
  • Piperazines
  • Pyridones
  • Lamivudine
  • dolutegravir
  • Rilpivirine