Dolutegravir suppresses HIV by inhibiting integrase, an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate.
The pill-based regimen, which researchers described as easier to take than standard treatment, reduced the chances of treatment failure among children aged 3-18 years by about 40%, compared with other treatments. Dolutegravir is already used for the suppression of HIV in adults.
“About 1.8 million children live with HIV but they have had limited treatment options, with medicines that taste unpalatable, that need to be taken twice a day, or that come in large pills that are difficult to swallow” said lead author Anna Turkova, MD, from the MRC clinical trials unit at UCL. “Dolutegravir is given in small tablets usually once a day and the baby pills can be dispersed in water, meaning it’s a lot easier for young children to take. This is important in encouraging uptake of the treatment and adherence to it over many years.
“Sadly, only about half of children living with HIV are currently receiving treatment, and those who are not treated face high risks of impaired immunity and worsening health.”
Study details
The randomized controlled trial, called ODYSSEY, involved more than 700 children from 29 clinical centers located in Africa, Europe, and Asia. The children were given either dolutegravir or standard anti-HIV drugs, and were followed up for at least 2 years.
The study showed that 14% of children receiving dolutegravir experienced treatment failure over 2 years, compared with 22% of those receiving standard treatment. Treatment failure was deemed to occur if measurable virus appeared in the blood or if the child had symptoms of HIV-related illness.
“Our findings provide strong evidence for the global rollout of dolutegravir for children with HIV,” said Diana Gibb, MD, also from the MRC clinical trials unit at UCL, principal investigator of the trial and one of the senior authors of the paper.
“Medical treatments for children often lag woefully behind those of adults because of the separate formulations and studies that are needed,” she added. “With the evidence from ODYSSEY which used simplified dosing of both adult and baby pills, this treatment gap has been reduced and we hope that countries can quickly scale up access to children globally.”
Simplified dosing
“Simplifying the dosing is crucial,” concurred Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, MD, from the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Uganda, the country enrolling most children in the trial. “Older children being able to take the same tablets as adults immediately opens access to dolutegravir for the majority of children living with HIV. It greatly simplifies procurement for national health systems in low- and middle-income countries, and lowers costs.”
Evidence from adults shows dolutegravir has a high genetic barrier to resistance, meaning viruses are less likely to become resistant to it over time. This was confirmed in the ODYSSEY trial, with much less resistance occurring among children and adolescents on dolutegravir-based treatment. In addition, past studies of the drug have shown that it may be associated with weight gain in adults, but the findings were reassuring for children. Those given dolutegravir gained on average 1 kg more and grew 1 cm higher over the study period, indicating better growth rather than abnormal weight gain.
Early findings from the trial have informed new guidance by the World Health Organization, recommending the use of dolutegravir for children.
The study was sponsored by the Penta Foundation, an international independent research network, and funded by specialist pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.