August 03, 2023
Disclosures:
Brooks reports receiving consulting fees from ViiV Healthcare. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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Key takeaways:
- Researchers confirmed the dosing of a formulation including dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine in children with HIV.
- The combination was shown to suppress the virus after 24 weeks.
Researchers confirmed the dosing of an ART combination designed to treat children with HIV and found that it was safe, well tolerated and efficacious through 24 weeks, according to results published in The Lancet HIV.
A three-drug combination may help the treatment of pediatric HIV. Image: NIAID
“HIV treatment in children has historically been challenging as it requires the use of multiple tablets and liquids that don’t always taste the best, and can be challenging to administer,” Brooks said.
Brooks and colleagues joined the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network to examine both an immediate release pill and a new formulation of dispersible release tablets containing dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine — three drugs that have been shown to be safe and effective in HIV treatment.
Children weighing 6 kg to less than 25 kg received 60 mg of abacavir, 5 mg of dolutegravir, and 30 mg of lamivudine in three to six dispersible tablets, depending on their weight — children weighing 6 kg to less than 10 kg received three tablets in 15 mL of water, whereas those weighing 10 kg to less than 14 kg (four tablets), 14 kg to less than 20 kg (five tablets) and 20 kg to less than 25 kg (six tablets) received their medication in 20 mL of water.
Children who weighed 25 kg to 40 kg received 600 mg of abacavir, 50 mg of dolutegravir and 300 mg of lamivudine in an immediate-release tablet.
“The safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of these formulations look very positive,” Brooks said in the release.
She said the new formulation could help enable continuity of treatment, improve treatment outcomes and “make it easier for caregivers responsible for dispensing the drugs.”
“We must continue to pursue child-friendly treatment options to overcome the current global disparity in treatment outcomes between children and adults,” Brooks
References:
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