ARV breakthrough: trial in South Africa confirms effectiveness of new drug - BIZHealth - 03 Dec 2019

ARV breakthrough: trial in South Africa confirms effectiveness of new drug - BIZHealth - 03 Dec 2019

BIZHealth - 03 Dec 2019

BY: MICHELLE MOORHOUSE & WILLEM DANIEL FRANCOIS VENTER
"A new antiretroviral drug regimen has been given the go-ahead by the World Health Organisation. This follows the preliminary results from studies that include an ongoing trial in South Africa.
The drug is set to improve HIV treatment. Shutterstock
The drug is set to improve HIV treatment. Shutterstock
The Advance study, conducted by a Johannesburg-based research group from the University of the Witwatersrand, will only be completed next year. But early results show that dolutegravir is an effective and well-tolerated antiretroviral drug. ADVANCE, which will continue for 96 weeks, presented its 48-week results at the International Aids conference in Mexico City.

The results are important because the Johannesburg trial includes a population much more representative of the real-world populations being treated for HIV across lower- and middle-income countries. Study participants are black, and almost 60% female with an average age of 32 years.

Previous studies of dolutegravir involved around 3,000 participants, most of whom were middle-aged white men from high-income countries in the US and Europe. They obviously aren’t reflective of the global and South African HIV epidemic, which is comprised of mainly black (more than 70%) and women (more than 52%), many of whom are under 40 years of age."

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