What's New in the Guidelines | Perinatal | AIDSinfo

What's New in the Guidelines | Perinatal | AIDSinfo

Updated HHS Perinatal Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines Released

The HHS Panel on Treatment of Pregnant Women with HIV Infection and Prevention of Perinatal Transmission (the Panel) is pleased to announce the release of the updated Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant Women with HIV Infection and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.

Key updates to the guidelines include the following:

• Preliminary data suggest that there is a possible increased risk of neural tube defects in infants born to women who were receiving dolutegravir at the time of conception. In response, the Panel has developed conservative, interim recommendations regarding the use of dolutegravir during pregnancy and for women who are trying to conceive. A number of sections across the guidelines were revised to include these interim recommendations.
• A new table, Table 7, provides an overview of drug recommendations for pregnant women who have never received antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, who are currently receiving ARV drugs, who previously received antiretroviral therapy (ART) or ARV prophylaxis, or who are receiving ART that is not well tolerated and/or not resulting in virologic suppression. This table also includes recommendations for nonpregnant women who are trying to conceive.
• In Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy, the Panel now recommends dolutegravir as a preferred integrase strand transfer inhibitor option after the first trimester of pregnancy; this designation is based on available pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and safety data. Cobicistat-boosted atazanavir, darunavir, and elvitegravir are now classified as not recommended for use in pregnancy. This is due to concerns about pharmacokinetic changes during the second and third trimesters that may increase the risk of virologic failure.
• Zidovudine plus lamivudine plus raltegravir is now a recommended empiric HIV therapy option for neonates who are at a higher risk of perinatal HIV transmission. Information has been added to the Antiretroviral Management of Newborns with Perinatal HIV Exposure or Perinatal HIV section about the use of raltegravir in infants.
• In Maternal HIV Testing and Identification of Perinatal HIV Exposure, a new bulleted recommendation was added to emphasize that partners of pregnant women should be encouraged to undergo HIV testing if their HIV status is unknown. The indications for third-trimester HIV retesting have been updated to include women who are incarcerated or who reside in states that require third-trimester testing.
• A subsection was added to Transmission and Mode of Delivery about the timing of vaginal delivery.
• In Diagnosis of HIV Infection in Infants and Children, the use of an assay that detects HIV non-B subtype viruses or Group O is now recommended for known or suspected maternal non-B subtype virus or Group O infections. The case definition for indeterminate HIV infection in children aged less than 18 months has also been added.
• Reproductive Options for Couples in Which One or Both Partners are Living with HIV now includes guidance about when to pursue a workup for infertility for serodiscordant couples who are attempting to conceive via sexual intercourse without a condom.

For a complete list of updates, please see What's New in the Guidelines. Additions and revisions are highlighted in yellow throughout the PDF version of the guidelines.

To view or download the guidelines, go to the Perinatal Guidelines section of AIDSinfo’s website. The guideline tables and recommendations can also be downloaded as separate PDF files.

AIDSinfo Welcomes Your Feedback

Feedback on the latest revisions to the Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant Women with HIV Infection and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States is welcome. Please send your comments with the subject line “Comments on the Perinatal Guidelines” to ContactUs@aidsinfo.nih.gov by December 20, 2018.

Scientific/Clinical Member Nominations Are Now Being Accepted for the HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents with HIV

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents (or the Panel) is accepting nominations for new scientific/clinical members with expertise in HIV medicine. The Panel is seeking candidates with expertise in antiretroviral therapy and the following areas:

• HIV clinical research and clinical care
• Hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections
• Cost effectiveness and resource utilization
• Clinical pharmacology (with emphasis on drug-drug interactions)
• Biostatistics

Panel members critically evaluate new information and prepare guideline revisions. The candidates should be recognized experts in their areas of interest. The successful candidates will serve a 4-year term beginning April 2019, with potential for reappointment for an additional term.

The Panel is a Working Group of the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health. The Panel is composed of over 40 members who are clinicians, researchers, academicians, HHS representatives, and community representatives with expertise in HIV management in the United States. The Panel meets monthly via teleconferencing and annually in a face-to-face meeting to review and critically evaluate emerging scientific data relating to antiretroviral therapy and to revise the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents Living with HIV. The latest guideline was published on October 25, 2018, and can be found at https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/.

Panel members are not financially compensated for their time commitment.

The nomination should include a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest or a letter of nomination (from a colleague) with specific reference to how the nominee would contribute to the work of the Panel, especially in the areas noted above. Self-nomination is welcome. All supporting documents should be submitted to Alice Pau, Pharm.D., electronically (apau@niaid.nih.gov) by no later than January 15, 2019.