A South African clinical study has demonstrated that the antiretroviral drug doravirine suppresses HIV as effectively as dolutegravir, the current gold-standard treatment, while causing significantly less weight gain in patients.
The findings address a growing concern among healthcare providers regarding the metabolic side effects associated with long-term HIV therapy.
Weight gain linked to certain antiretrovirals has been associated with increased risks of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, complicating long-term patient management.
Dolutegravir has become the preferred first-line treatment globally due to its high efficacy and tolerability.
However, the metabolic burden it imposes on some patients has prompted researchers to seek alternatives that maintain viral suppression without compromising metabolic health.
Doravirine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, appears to offer this balance.