SIMPL'HIV Study data backs another dual therapy option

Dual therapy for HIV is increasingly becoming a viable option for more and more people and the results from Switzerland's SIMPL'HIV study only add more weight to the viability of dual therapy choices.

The SIMPL'HIV study was an open-label, non-inferiority randomized trial among people living with HIV to determine whether DTG+FTC was non-inferior (as effective as) standard triple therapy at maintaining a suppressed (undetectable) viral load.

Participants were randomised onto one of four arms:

• DTG+FTC with standard monitoring
• DTG+FTC with simplified monitoring
• Existing ART with standard monitoring
• Existing ART with simplified monitoring

The participants were followed over 48 months with viral load being tracked, with the primary end point being the percentage of participants with a viral load under 100 copies/mL at 48 weeks and a secondary end point being the percentage of participants with a viral load under 50 copies/mL at 48 weeks.

At the end of the 48 weeks the results were:

• DTG+FTC participants with viral load of <100 copies/mL: 93.5% 
• Existing ART participants with viral load of <100 copies/mL: 94.7%
• DTG+FTC participants with viral load of <50 copies/mL: 90.3%
• Existing ART participants with a viral load of <50 copies/mL: 91.5%

This demonstrated that dual therapy with DTG+FTC is non-inferior to standard ART, and is a viable treatment option for patients who are already virally suppressed and looking to simplify their treatment regimen.

Link to study abstract: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03160105

If you are thinking about changing your HIV treatment always consult your HIV clinician, please note that this treatment option may not be approved for prescribing in your country or region.