FDA Approves 3-in-1 Combination HIV Treatment

A new drug meant to treat patients with HIV-1 was recently approved.

A statement from ViiV Healthcare announced the approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the drug Triumeq (abacavir 600mg, dolutegravir 50mg, and lamivudine 300mg). The new drug allows for a one-pill regimen for HIV patients by combining the integrase strand transfer inhibitor dolutegravir with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors abacavir and lamivudine.

Approval for the new drug came following a Phase III study and a bioequivalence study which compared the medications being taken separately or in the single pill form. During the studies the most reported adverse reactions were insomnia, headache, and fatigue.

With the drug combining several medications the statement notes that it should not be taken by patients “with current or past history of resistance to any components of Triumeq.” It is also not recommended for patients “with resistance-associated integrase substitutions or clinically suspected INSTI resistance.”