iconstar paper   HIV Articles  
Back grey arrow rt.gif
 
 
Recommendations Regarding the Use of Dolutegravir in Adults and Adolescents with HIV who are Pregnant or of Child-Bearing Potential
 
 
  Date: May 30, 2018
Source: AIDSinfo
 
https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/news/2109/recommendations-regarding-the-use-of-dolutegravir-in-adults-and-adolescents-with-hiv-who-are-pregnant-or-of-child-bearing-potential
 
A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded observational surveillance study of birth outcomes among pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Botswana identified neural tube defects (NTDs) in four infants born to 426 women who initiated a dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen prior to pregnancy, and who were still receiving it at the time of conception.1 This study is ongoing, and more data from approximately 600 additional births among pregnant women who have been using a DTG-based regimen from conception are expected in the next 9 months. Importantly, the same study presented data on women who initiated ART during the first trimester of pregnancy, and no NTDs were identified in the infants of the 116 women who initiated a DTG-based regimen in the first trimester or in 396 women who initiated an efavirenz (EFV)-based regimen.2 In the upcoming months, data from this study and other investigations will provide more information about the safety of DTG for infants exposed in utero. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Antiretroviral Guidelines Panels* are issuing these recommendations to elaborate on our previous statement of May 18, 20183 and to support the related Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety Communication.4 For treatment of adults and adolescents with HIV who are pregnant or of child-bearing potential, we recommend the following:
 
o For individuals not known to be pregnant, documentation of a negative pregnancy test is recommended prior to initiating DTG.
 
o Those who are currently receiving DTG as a component of their ART or who wish to be started on DTG should be counseled about the potential risk of NTDs when DTG is taken near the time of conception. NTDs occur within the first 28 days after conception or 6 weeks from the last menstrual period.
 
o Those who are pregnant, taking DTG, and within 8 weeks from last menstrual period should discuss the risks and benefits of their current regimens with their health care providers. If there are other good options to replace DTG, then switching to a non-DTG ART regimen is recommended (see Table 2).
 
o Those who are pregnant and 8 weeks or greater from last menstrual period may initiate or continue DTG-based regimens. Discontinuing DTG-based regimens is unlikely to confer any benefits after the neural tube has formed, and medication changes during pregnancy could increase the risk of viremia and transmission of HIV to the infant.
 
o Currently, it is not clear if DTG is the only integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) with the potential to cause NTDs, or if other INSTIs also carry this risk (i.e., a class effect). Although there have been no reports of NTDs associated with taking DTG or other INSTIs near the time of conception in the prospective portion of the U.S. Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry, the Registry is based on voluntary reporting and the number of reported INSTI exposures near the time of conception is relatively small.
 
o The Panels encourage all providers to prospectively report the pregnancy exposures of individuals with HIV receiving ART to the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry.
 
o For additional guidance, please contact the Perinatal HIV/AIDS Hotline at (888) 448-8765.
 
Table 1 below provides recommendations for the use of DTG in pregnant individuals and in those individuals who may become pregnant based on antiretroviral (ARV) history and various clinical scenarios. The decision of whether or not to initiate or continue to prescribe DTG should be made by the provider and the patient, after taking into account the potential risk of DTG to the fetus and the benefit of DTG for maintaining viral suppression. Table 2 provides recommendations on alternative ARV drugs when DTG cannot be used.
 
Hit link above at top to see tables
 
Table 2: Alternatives to Dolutegravir in Adults and Adolescents with HIV who are Pregnant or of Child-Bearing Potential
 
" ARV history, current and past resistance profiles, safety for the patient and the fetus, tolerance, and drug interaction potential should be taken into account when determining the optimal alternative to DTG.
 
" Elvitegravir/cobicistat should not be used during pregnancy, due to concerns about adequate drug levels and risk of viral breakthrough.
 
" There are currently little data on the use of cobicistat, tenofovir alafenamide, or bictegravir-containing regimens during pregnancy.
 
For detailed descriptions of the advantages and disadvantages of each of these regimens, please see Table 8 of the Adult and Adolescent Antiretroviral Guidelines. Please also consult the Perinatal Guidelines for more specific recommendations during pregnancy.
 
The Panels emphasize that these are interim recommendations based on limited data. Additional information is being collected to provide a more complete understanding of the risk/benefit profile of DTG for individuals who are pregnant or are of childbearing potential. These recommendations will be updated as needed as more data become available.
 
The NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council (OARAC) will review the proposed changes to the HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention guidelines at the earliest opportunity.
 
* The Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, the Panel on Antiretroviral Therapy and Medical Management of Children Living with HIV, and the Panel on Treatment of Pregnant Women Living with HIV and Prevention of Perinatal Transmission are working groups of the OARAC.

 
 
 
 
  iconpaperstack View Older Articles   Back to Top   www.natap.org