Newer Anti-HIV Drugs Safest, Most Effective During Pregnancy | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Newer Anti-HIV Drugs Safest, Most Effective During Pregnancy | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Newer Anti-HIV Drugs Safest, Most Effective During Pregnancy Dolutegravir-Containing Regimen Exhibited Superior Safety Profile in Large, NIH-Supported Study of Pregnant Women The antiretroviral drugs dolutegravir and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (DTG+FTC/TAF) may comprise the safest and most effective HIV treatment regimen currently available during pregnancy, researchers announced today. Their findings come from a multinational study of more than 640 pregnant women with HIV across four continents. The study results affirm updated recommendations for HIV treatment in pregnant women set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO). Previous research clearly has demonstrated that antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress HIV prevents perinatal HIV transmission and benefits the health of both mother and child. The current study compared three antiretroviral drug regimens and found that regimens containing dolutegravir (DTG) were more effective in suppressing HIV than a commonly used regimen containing efavirenz (EFV).