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WHO ‘strongly recommends’ dolutegravir antiretroviral medication to manage HIV
23.07.2019 16:11 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of yesterday, WHO (UN World Health Orgainization) told it started recommending the use of the antiretroviral drug dolutegravir (DTG) - which, with other medication, treats HIV/AIDS - as the preferred first- and second-line treatment for all cases, including pregnant women and those who have the potential to give birth, UN Radio report says referring to the WHO report.
As to WHO, earlier, initial studies had highlighted a possible link between DTG and birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, that cause conditions like spina bifida in infants born to women who used the drug at the time of conception.
Based on these preliminary findings, many countries advised pregnant women and those of childbearing potential, to take an alternative antiviral medication called efavirenz (EFV).
However, new expanded evidence-based data from two large clinical trials comparing the efficacy and safety of DTG and EFV in Africa, reveal that the risks of neural tube defects are significantly lower than initial studies had suggested.
It is to be admitted, within 2019, 82 low- and middle-income countries reported that they would be transitioning to DTG-based HIV treatment regimens. And the new updated recommendations aim to help even more countries improve their HIV policies.
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