The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified Dolutegravir (DTG) as a safe and preferred first-line and second-line treatment drug for HIV/AIDS, adding that pregnant women can also use it.
Consequently, based on these preliminary findings, many countries had advised pregnant women and women of childbearing potential to take efavirenz (EFV) instead, the release said.
WHO said according to new data, risks of neural tube defects are significantly lower when using DTG than what the initial studies may have suggested.
The agency described DTG as an HIV drug that is more effective, easier to take and has fewer side effects than alternative drugs that are currently used.
“In 2019, 12 out of 18 countries surveyed by WHO reported pre-treatment drug resistance levels exceeding the recommended threshold of 10 per cent.
“All of above findings informed the decision to update the 2019 guidelines, and the newly updated recommendations aim to help more countries improve their HIV policies,”
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