Dolutegravir Medicine: New Hope to HIV Parents to Prevent Babies From HIV Infection

Dolutegravir Medicine: New Hope to HIV Parents:

DTG once a feared medicine of causing damage to neural tube defects to pregnant women is now used to prevent HIV infection. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cleared Dolutegravir (DTG) an antiretroviral medication to be used with other medicines for the treatment of HIV and AIDS.

After several types of research in the last one year, the World Health Organization has taken this change of stance on DTG.

International Aids Society 2019 in Mexico:

Yesterday, i.e., 23rd July 2019 Meg Doherty, Coordinator in the WHO Treatment and Care in the Department of HIV /Hepatitis, issued the updated recommendations in the 10th International Aids Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science.

The IAS 2019 is conducted in Mexico from 21st-24th July 2019 by the International Aids Society. Every two years IAS conference is held to implement the research development about the HIV epidemic.

It gave a green signal yesterday to the clinicians and the health ministries to use Dolutegravir (DTG), along with other medications to treat HIV and AIDS.

It can also be part of post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection under potential exposure.

Why the green light from WHO now for the use of Dolutegravir DTG?

Tseparmo study in Botswana suggested the use of DTG in pregnant women may cause NTDs or neural tube defects for the born children last year. 

Based on the result, WHO issued a caution notice to the medical fraternity on the use of DTG by women of childbearing age. 

But last year studies have made WHO to change stance and recommend DTG for even preventing HIV infection.

What is Dolutegravir (DTG)?

Dolutegravir (DTG) is a second-generation HIV Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor (INSTI).  It is the most recent antiretroviral approved for the treatment of HIV - 1 infection. Dolutegravir (DTG), given to HIV positive pregnant women to help them in the elimination of the mother to child transmission.

With the green signal from WHO to the usage of Dolutegravir (DTG) has given hope to a lot of HIV parents. It will help them not to have their children infected by HIV. It could also save a lot of people from being infected by HIV during its potential exposure.