High-level multi-class transmitted antiretroviral resistance in a man with newly acquired HIV

A 19 year old man was diagnosed newly acquired HIV and prescribed bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide at his initial visit for HIV care. The genotype results from that initial visit returned two weeks later, showing high-level multi-class transmitted drug resistance, including multiple resistance-associated mutations (RAM) in the integrase gene. Although he had an initial substantial decline in viremia in the first 4 weeks, it was felt that the risk of subsequent failure was too high, and his antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimen was therefore changed to daily dolutegravir and darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide, plus injected lenacapavir. He had durable virologic suppression on this new regimen for 12 months as of his last follow-up. This case of high-level multi-class transmitted drug resistance, in the context of rapid emergence of resistance to dolutegravir where it has been used as part of a salvage regimen, suggests that assessing for RAM in the integrase gene should be added to the currently recommended resistance testing for all patients with newly acquired HIV prior to initiating ART.