Birth outcomes following bictegravir exposure during pregnancy

Bictegravir is increasingly prescribed as a co-formulated tablet with tenofovir alafenamide and emtricitabine to pregnant persons with HIV (PWH) despite limited pregnancy and birth outcome data. We sought to provide birth outcome data following exposure to bictegravir during pregnancy.

We conducted a descriptive analysis of infants born to pregnant PWH 18-45 years of age enrolled in at least one Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS)-affiliated study who received bictegravir for ≥7 days during pregnancy and completed follow-up through delivery.

The outcomes of interest were gestational age at birth, preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation), gestational-age adjusted birth weight (BWZ) and length (BLZ) Z -scores, small for gestational age (SGA, birthweight <10th percentile), congenital anomalies, neonatal deaths in the first 28 days of life, and infant HIV status.

A total of 177 infants born to 170 unique PWH were exposed to bictegravir for ≥7 days during gestation; 55% were exposed to bictegravir from the time of conception. Median gestational age at birth was 38.1 weeks. The prevalence of preterm birth was 15.8% and SGA was 9.3%. Mean BWZ and BLZ were -0.48 and 0.03. No neonatal deaths or perinatal HIV transmissions were reported. Among 126 infants exposed to first-trimester bictegravir, 7 (5.6%) had major congenital anomalies with no specific pattern suggestive of a syndrome.

These findings provide preliminary data without significant safety concerns for fetal bictegravir exposure in this United States cohort. Comparative data and continued surveillance of outcomes among infants exposed to bictegravir during gestation are warranted.