A study from Weill Cornell Medicine found no significant resistance to the new HIV drug lenacapavir among Ugandan patients. Only 1.6% had mutations associated with resistance, indicating potential widespread effectiveness. This research emphasizes the importance of monitoring resistance as lenacapavir is deployed in East Africa, impacting over 1.5 million individuals living with HIV.
A recent multinational study led by Weill Cornell Medicine examined the efficacy of a new HIV therapy known as lenacapavir in Uganda. The research, published on January 30 in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, revealed minimal natural resistance to this drug among HIV patients in the region. This finding is significant given that there are approximately 1.5 million individuals living with HIV in Uganda, indicating that lenacapavir may represent an effective treatment option for these patients.
Senior researcher Guinevere Lee, an assistant professor of virology in medicine at Weill Cornell, stated, “Our data shows that only 1.6% of the individuals studied are living with HIV strains that have any known lenacapavir-associated resistance mutations.” This suggests lenacapavir’s potential effectiveness against the prevalent HIV strains in East Africa, as it targets the virus in a new way that differs from traditional antiretroviral treatments.
Since the 1990s, therapies that combine multiple drugs have been successful in lowering viral loads among HIV patients. However, resistance to existing therapies is a growing issue. Lenacapavir is unique in its ability to disrupt the protective capsid layer of HIV’s RNA, preventing the virus from replicating and transmitting. Clinical trials have shown that lenacapavir is effective in both treatment-naive individuals and those with resistant strains.
Previous information regarding lenacapavir resistance in lesser-studied HIV-1 strains, particularly subtypes A1 and D common in Eastern Africa, has been limited. The researchers sequenced capsid proteins from blood samples of 546 Ugandan patients who had not undergone prior antiretroviral therapy. The results showed no significant mutations among the participants that would lead to major resistance against lenacapavir.
Only a small number of participants exhibited minor mutations that could partially reduce the drug’s efficacy but would not cause complete ineffectiveness. “Our study supports lenacapavir’s potential efficacy in this region,” Lee noted, emphasizing the need for ongoing research as the drug rolls out to ensure it addresses resistance developments. Ensuring research reaches underserved populations with unique viral strains is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
The study conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine highlights the promising efficacy of lenacapavir in controlling HIV in Uganda, revealing minimal resistance among patients. The findings imply that lenacapavir could be a significant asset in managing the HIV epidemic in East Africa. Ongoing surveillance for emerging drug-resistant strains will be essential as this therapy becomes more widely available.
Original Source: news.cornell.edu
