An observational study in Hiv, sponsored by University of Bern. Completed at 22 sites in 16 countries. Open to participants aged 10 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-25.
Sponsored by University of Bern · Observational
This is a prospective observational study enrolling People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who are on a Dolutegravir-based AntiRetroviral Treatment (ART) regimen and experiencing virologic failure. Virologic failure is defined as two consecutive viral load measurements of >1000 copies/mL of blood. The main aim of the study is to identify the drug-resistance mutations in the viral genome that are associated with this failure.
To achieve this goal, patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be invited for a single study visit for the collection of blood. The extracted HIV virus will be sequenced through whole genome sequencing methods to identify the drug-resistance mutations. The study is conducted in 15-20 countries within six regions of the IeDEA cohort (International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS).
With the expansion of access to Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), there is an increase in HIV drug resistance. The previously recommended 1st-line regimen of Tenofovir, Emtricitabine and Efavirenz (TEE) contains three drugs with a low genetic barrier to resistance. As a result, acquired drug resistance mutations are detected in the majority of people on TEE across different regions and HIV-1 subtypes. There has also been a steady increase in Pre-treatment Drug Resistance (PDR) as ART coverage has expanded in LMIC. WHO now recommends the use of Dolutegravir (DTG) in 1st -, 2nd and 3rd-line ART for adults and adolescents. Therefore, in most countries, PLHIV are transitioned to a DTG-based regimen. DTG is a potent Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor (InSTI) which has better efficacy and safety profile than Efavirenz in 1st-line therapy and Lopinavir/Ritonavir in 2nd-line therapy. DTG has a high genetic barrier to resistance, and resistance in ART-naïve individuals treated with combination ART has so far been rare. However, when used as monotherapy, or in people with pre-existing InSTI resistance, DTG is associated with a higher risk of virologic failure and resistance.
In this study, the investigators aim to -
Adults (≥18 years) and adolescents (10-17 years) with virologic failure (viral load ≥1000 copies/mL) on any DTG-based anti-retroviral treatment (1st-line, 2nd-line and 3rd-line) at 20-30 clinical sites within six regions of the IeDEA cohort will be recruited into the study. There is only one study visit per participant and the study is observational and embedded in routine care, with no additional interventions. After obtaining informed consent, a blood specimen will be taken from the study participants. Whole genome sequencing will be performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform to identify the Drug Resistance Mutations. In addition, new DRMs and mutation pathways will be explored by viral genome-wide association study and conjunctive Bayesian network approaches.
3,035 studies on the registry are indexed under Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; 306 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 1,103 is above the median of 287 across 503 observational studies indexed under Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Browse Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome studies →University of Bern is the lead sponsor of 209 studies on the registry; 47 are open to participants now.
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Patients routinely treated at the local HIV care clinics.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
People living with HIV and on a Dolutegravir-based ART regimen, and experiencing treatment failure.
Type of Integrase Drug Resistance Mutations (INSTI DRMs) at the time of failing a DTG-based regimen.
The investigators define INSTI DRMs as all mutations associated with INSTIs by the Stanford HIVdb algorithm (https://hivdb.stanford.edu/). The identified mutations will be classified into major, accessory and other mutation types. New mutations will also be assessed. Analyses will be cross-sectional and differences between groups (for example, HIV-1 subtypes) tested using Pearson's chi-squared tests.
Time frame: 4 years
Prevalence of Integrase Drug Resistance Mutations (INSTI DRMs) at the time of failing a DTG-based regimen.
Prevalence of the identified mutations will be expressed as the proportion of the study population showing INSTI DRMs compared to the total number of study participants experiencing treatment failure (Viral load \> 1000 copies/mL and successfully sequenced). Analyses will be cross-sectional and differences between groups (for example, HIV-1 subtypes) tested using Pearson's chi-squared tests.
Time frame: 4 years
Time to virologic failure
The Investigators define virologic failure as two consecutive viral load measurements of \>1000 copies/mL of blood. The time to virologic failure will be analysed using survival models, stratified by country to account for heterogeneity, including all individuals who started Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) on a dolutegravir-based regimen or switched to such a regimen.
Time frame: 4 years
Number of INSTI DRMs per patient
The Investigators define INSTI DRMs as all mutations associated with INSTIs by the Stanford HIVdb algorithm, including major and accessory mutations (HIV Drug Resistance Database (https://hivdb.stanford.edu/)). All individuals who developed virologic failure on any dolutegravir-based regimen will be analysed using a negative binomial generalised linear model for the number of major/accessory INSTI DRMs per patient.
Time frame: 4 years
DTG drug resistance
The Investigators will use the Stanford HIV Database and the Stanford HIVdb algorithm (HIV Drug Resistance Database (https://hivdb.stanford.edu/)) to categorise drug resistance levels as susceptible (score below 10), potential low (10-14), low (15-29), intermediate (30-59), or high (≥60). An ordinal logistic regression model will be used to analyse the drug resistance levels.
Time frame: 4 years
Phenotypic resistance levels of novel DRMs
Selected samples will undergo phenotypic testing to identify any correlations between the observed DRMs on HIV phenotype, which is quantified as the fold change of IC50 to DTG, i.e. the concentration at which viral replication is reduced by 50%.
Time frame: 1 year
Plan to share: Yes — The Investigators are open to share any type of study data upon reasonable request, pending approval by local sites.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Analytic code
Time frame: Within 1 year of study conclusion, for about 1 year.
Access criteria: Upon reasonable request, pending approval by local sites.
This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome →