A study by Weill Cornell Medicine confirms that lenacapavir shows minimal resistance in Uganda, bolstering its potential as an effective HIV treatment. With only 1.6% of patients harboring resistance mutations, the findings are crucial for managing HIV in East Africa, where resistance to current therapies is a growing concern. The research underscores the importance of continued monitoring as lenacapavir is introduced into the region.
A recent multinational study led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine has demonstrated minimal natural resistance to the new HIV therapy, lenacapavir, among Ugandan patients. Published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the findings reinforce lenacapavir’s potential as a significant addition to global efforts against HIV, especially in Uganda, where an estimated 1.5 million individuals are living with the virus.
According to Guinevere Lee, a senior author of the study, only 1.6% of the patients examined exhibited HIV strains with known lenacapavir resistance mutations. This suggests that lenacapavir may be effective against prevalent strains of HIV circulating in East Africa, a crucial insight in the ongoing battle against the virus.
Since the 1990s, HIV treatment regimens utilizing multiple drugs targeting different stages of the virus’s life cycle have significantly reduced viral loads to undetectable levels. However, growing concerns regarding drug resistance necessitated alternative approaches, making lenacapavir—capable of disrupting the virus’s protective capsid layer—a promising candidate in the fight against HIV.
Twice-yearly lenacapavir treatment has proven effective for both treatment-naïve patients and those with resistant HIV strains. Previous clinical trials reaffirmed its efficacy, showing complete protection against HIV infection among HIV-negative women in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this, information regarding resistance in less studied strains was lacking, particularly for subtypes A1 and D, common in eastern and southern Africa.
Lee and her team sequenced the capsid proteins of HIV-1 variants from 546 Ugandan patients who had never undergone antiretroviral treatment, thus allowing them to investigate naturally circulating variants. The analysis revealed no significant genetic mutations leading to major lenacapavir resistance among these patients, with only minor mutations present in a small subset of participants.
The study underscores the potential effectiveness of lenacapavir in the region, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring to track the emergence of resistant strains as the drug is implemented in East Africa. It is essential to ensure that HIV research reaches communities with unique strains that have been underrepresented in studies.
Support for this research was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health, emphasizing the importance of funding for continued investigation into effective HIV therapies.
The study indicates that lenacapavir may be a highly effective treatment for HIV in Uganda, with minimal evidence of resistance among prevalent viral strains. These findings are significant as they support the deployment of lenacapavir in regions heavily affected by HIV, stressing the need for ongoing research and surveillance for drug resistance. The research contributes vital knowledge to HIV treatment strategies, particularly in underrepresented populations.
Original Source: news.cornell.edu
