Safety and efficacy of dolutegravir in hemodialysis

With the increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of HIV-infected patients requiring hemodialysis has also increased. Dolutegravir is an integrase inhibitor that is a common component of HIV treatment regimens. Currently, there is no guidance regarding the use of dolutegravir in patients requiring hemodialysis. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the clinical correlates of safe and effective use of dolutegravir in hemodialysis. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of patients receiving dolutegravir and hemodialysis for at least six months at a single academic HIV medical clinic. The primary safety outcome was discontinuation of dolutegravir due to an adverse effect. The primary efficacy outcome was viral suppression six months after being on dolutegravir and hemodialysis simultaneously. Ten patients received dolutegravir while receiving hemodialysis for six months. No patients discontinued the medication during the six months. Eighty percent of the patients were virally suppressed at six months with 62.5% of those suppressed maintaining suppression and 37.5% achieving suppression over the course of the six months. In a retrospective review of ten patients receiving dolutegravir while on hemodialysis for at least six months, dolutegravir was generally safe and effective for use at standard dosages.