Evaluating outcomes of mother-infants pairs using dolutegravir for HIV treatment during pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Dolutegravir (DTG), a second-generation integrase inhibitor, is an effective treatment for HIV but its safety and efficacy are not well established in pregnancy. Here, we assess maternal and infant outcomes of mother-infant pairs using DTG-containing regimens during pregnancy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of pregnant women with HIV on DTG from two urban clinics in the United States, 2015-2018. Maternal outcomes included viral suppression (viral load of <20 copies/ml prior to delivery), development of resistance, and tolerability to DTG. Infant outcomes included preterm delivery (birth at <37 weeks), small for gestational age (SGA, weight <10th percentile), infant HIV status at birth, birth defect(s), and Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration (APGAR) scores. We performed a trend analysis to assess DTG use over time. RESULTS: A total of 66 women used DTG during pregnancy and the proportion on DTG increased each year: in 2015, 8% (5/60) of women were on DTG, versus 22% (15/67) in 2016, 42% (30/71) in 2017, and 59% (16/27) in 2018 (P < 0.05). Among women who delivered (n = 57), 77.2% were undetectable at delivery. There were no drug resistance and no reported side effects during pregnancy. Infants had a mean APGAR score of 8 (SD 1.5) at 1 min and 9 (SD 0.8) at 5 min; 31.6% were born prematurely and 15.8% were SGA, and 2 infants had a birth defect. No cases of HIV transmission occurred. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that DTG can be an effective treatment during pregnancy. Infant outcomes (preterm deliveries and birth defects) need to be investigated in larger studies.