Dolutegravir/Rilpivirine: A Review in HIV-1 Infection

Dolutegravir/rilpivirine (Juluca^®) is the first two-drug single-tablet regimen (STR) to be approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults. The fixed-dose STR combines the integrase strand transfer inhibitor dolutegravir with the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor rilpivirine. In two phase III non-inferiority trials (SWORD-1 and SWORD-2) in treatment-experienced patients already virologically suppressed on their current antiretroviral (ART) regimen, switching to once-daily dolutegravir plus rilpivirine maintained virological suppression over 48 weeks. Switching to a two-drug regimen of dolutegravir plus rilpivirine was also associated with high rates of virological suppression in real-world observational studies. Switching to once-daily dolutegravir plus rilpivirine was generally well tolerated and associated with more favourable renal and bone parameters than remaining on the current ART regimen. Longer-term, dolutegravir plus rilpivirine demonstrated durable maintenance of virological suppression and remained generally well tolerated for up to 100 weeks. Thus, dolutegravir/rilpivirine provides a convenient alternative treatment option for some adults with HIV-1 infection and no history of virological failure who are already virologically suppressed on (and wish to switch from) their current ART regimen.