Objective: Dolutegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, is a relatively new treatment option. To assess the tolerability, side effects, and time to viral decline to non-detectable in patients newly started on dolutegravir.
Methods: Retrospective health care record of 61 consecutive HIV treatment-naive patients started on dolutegravir was reviewed and analysed on SPSS.
Results: The mean initial viral load was 160826.05 copies/mL (range, 79-1,126,617 copies/mL). HIV viral load became non-detectable in 63.9% of patients on dolutegravir within 3 months. In all, 60.7% of patients reported no side effects on dolutegravir; 98.4% of the patients claimed full compliance to their antiretrovirals.
Conclusion: Dolutegravir was found to be efficacious and well tolerated in HIV-infected treatment-naive patients.
Keywords: HIV; Pharmacoepidemiology/drug safety; dolutegravir; integrase inhibitor; naive; tolerability; viral load.