After years of scientific research, patients with HIV They already have within reach a treatment that combines two drugs in a single tablet, which will provide them with better options for tolerability, dosage, interaction with other drugs and a better quality of life in the long term due to less toxicity.
Based on the combination of Dolutegravir (INI integrase inhibitor) and Lamivudine (ITRAN nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor), this new therapy may be prescribed by health professionals to their patients in Mexico, explained Dr. Siegfried RangelMedical Director of GSK Mexico.
Specialists and directors of medical organizations in the country participated in the presentation, such as Jaime AndradeCEO of Guadalajara Civil Hospital.
The new drug, presented yesterday to the medical community, is an innovative alternative for people with HIV, “adults and adolescents over 12 years of age who weigh at least 40 kilos, both in patients starting treatment and in the replacement of antiretroviral regimens for patients with suppressed viral load”, mentioned Sigfrido Rangel.
Another of the advantages of this therapy —said Jaime Andrade, director of the Guadalajara Civil Hospital—, is that it has fewer adverse effects than other antiretroviral treatments.
Since people with HIV require lifelong therapy, effective treatments with limited toxicity are needed; that way, Dolutegravir / Lamivudinereduces the number of prescribed antiretroviral drugs, potentially contributing to reduce toxicity, as well as the costs associated with treatment, while still having a powerful and long-lasting antiviral activity, as well as a high barrier to resistance.
According to international studies, 68% of people living with HIV express concern about the long-term effects of treatments against the disease; 57% are concerned about having to take more medications as they get older, and 73% are open to taking one HIV therapy with fewer drugs, as long as the viral load remains suppressed.
Therefore, even though antiretrovirals currently lower a person’s viral load to undetectable levels and reduce the risk of transmission, it is necessary to have therapeutic options that mitigate the risk of drug interactions with respect to the most prevalent comorbidities associated with HIV. age in people with HIV, among which are: depression, osteoporosis, acute myocardial infarction and cognitive impairment, among others.
Since 2019, the European AIDS Clinical Society recommends the Dolutegravir / Lamivudine regimen in its treatment guidelines for most patients with suppressed viral load and patients without previous treatment, while the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States recommends it as an initial regimen and as an option of replacement of antiretroviral treatment in patients with suppressed viral load.
In Mexico, it was authorized by the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) in November 2021.
Currently there are more than 201,439 cases of HIV registered. In the last year, a total of 11,869 new cases were registered; being Quintana Roo, Colima, Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatán the states with the highest rate of new diagnosed cases.
With this launch, GSK Mexico confirms its commitment to the development of a wide range of innovative approaches to treating HIVfully aware that new treatments must make a difference in people’s lives according to their unique needs and experiences, in order to “leave no person with HIV behind”.