WHO warns of growing resistance to GSK HIV drug

Written By :  Ruchika Sharma
Medically Reviewed By :  Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Published On 2024-03-06 07:00 GMT   |   Update On 2024-03-20 10:50 GMT
Advertisement

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said resistance to GSK's HIV drug dolutegravir has exceeded levels observed during its trials, citing observational and survey data received from a few countries.

Resistance ranged from 3.9% to 8.6% and reached 19.6% among people who have received and transitioned to a dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen to combat high HIV viral loads.
Advertisement
HIV medicines reduce the amount of the virus in the body to a very low level and helps prevent illness.
"The resistance analysis focuses on subgroups whose virus was not suppressed and the data does not indicate that resistance was prevalent in the overall population", a GSK spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The global health agency did not disclose the number of countries from where the data was reported, but said only a few countries have reported survey data to WHO, to date.
Only Haiti reported survey data to the WHO for HIV drug resistance among infants who have not received the therapy or infants starting it.
The WHO said there have been cases of resistance to a class of HIV drugs known as integrase-strand transfer inhibitors in patients who took the injectible version of an HIV preventive drug called cabotegravir or CAB-LA.
Cabotegravir, also made by GSK, is sold under the brand name Apretude.
The WHO recommended that countries routinely implement standardized surveillance of resistance to HIV drugs, which could help understand the patterns of resistance among people not achieving a suppressed viral load.
"We agree with the WHO that there is a need for further surveillance," GSK said.
The agency has been recommending the use of dolutegravir as the preferred first- and second-line HIV treatment for all population groups since 2018.
It has recommended use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir as an additional prevention for those at substantial risk of HIV infection since 2022.

Read also: GSK CEO Emma Walmsley total remuneration rises 51 percent to USD 16 million in 2023

Original news source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-says-resistance-gsks-hiv-drug-is-growing-2024-03-05/ 

Tags:    

Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.

NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.

Our comments section is governed by our Comments Policy . By posting comments at Medical Dialogues you automatically agree with our Comments Policy , Terms And Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Similar News