Rapid HIV-1 genotyping assay for the detection of capsid mutations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid is one of the most recent viral proteins successfully targeted for the development of antiretrovirals. Lenacapavir is a first in class HIV-1 capsid inhibitor that was recently approved for the treatment of highly treatment-experienced people with HIV in combination with other anti-HIV drugs. Owing to the novelty of the viral target, methods to characterize the potential resistance-associated mutations present in capsid upon treatment failure have not been fully established yet. Here, we describe a rapid and simple method to amplify capsid fragments and to determine their sequence from various clinical samples including diverse HIV-1 subtypes. These methods could easily be implemented in laboratories, including hospital laboratories often caring for this patient population.