Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide treatment: efficacy and
tolerability in clinical practice.
Abstract
Objectives: Analysis of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir
alafenamide (BFTAF) efficacy and safety in virologically-suppressed
people living with HIV (PLWH) in clinical practice. Patients and
methods: Retrospective cohort study including adult
treatment-experienced and virologically suppressed PLWH, switched to
BFTAF from June 2019 to June 2021. Efficacy and safety were evaluated as
virological failure (VF=2 consecutive HIV-RNA>50 copies/mL
or a single HIV-RNA>400 copies/mL) and treatment failure
(TF=VF or discontinuation for any reason) until data freezing (August
2022). Results: 1040 PLWH included, 67.8% switched from
elvitegravir/cobicistat/FTAF. VF occurred in 4.2% (n=44), with
incidence rate of 1.63 per 1000 person-months of follow-up (PMFU) and
probability at 24-30 months of 3.8%-4.0%, respectively. Out of the 44
VF, in 75% virological re-supression was achieved while maintaining
BFTAF. Discontinuation occurred in 15% after a median time of 13.5
months of follow-up, with incidence rate of 5.67 per 1000 PMFU, and
probability at 24-30 months of 11.9%-15.3%, respectively. Main
discontinuation reasons were simplification (51.3%) and toxicity
(21.8%, involving CNS in half of cases). TF occurred in 18.6% with
incidence rate of 7.01 per 1000 PMFU after a median time of 13.6
observation months; probability at 24-30 months was 14.8%-18.4%,
respectively. Conclusions: BFTAF proved effective and well
tolerated in clinical practice.