abacavir / Generic mfg. - LARVOL DELTA

Global "expiration" of abacavir in adults with HIV: a rapid review of safety and efficacy concerns challenging its role in modern ART. (PubMed, Ther Adv Infect Dis) - "Considering these findings, abacavir should be considered an obsolete option for most, if not all, adults living with HIV. This perspective shift emphasizes the importance of selecting ART regimens that optimize long-term cardiovascular health while achieving durable virologic suppression in the modern era of HIV treatment."

Journal • Review • Cardiovascular • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease

Ocular Manifestations of Perinatal HIV Infection in Kenyan Children on HAART: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study. (PubMed, Clin Ophthalmol) - "This study suggests that in the HAART era, perinatally HIV-infected children with well-managed viral loads show visual function and largely normal ocular surface health, contrasting with pre-HAART literature. The increased frequency of strabismus in HIV+ children and its potential association with abacavir warrant further investigation into HAART-related ocular motility side effects."

Journal • Allergy • Conjunctivitis • Dry Eye Disease • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Ocular Infections • Ocular Inflammation • Ophthalmology • Sjogren's Syndrome • Strabismus

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Profiling in People Living with HIV: Insights from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database. (PubMed, AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses) - "ART regimen classes (e.g., integrase strand transfer inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors) and backbone therapies [e.g., abacavir (ABC)/lamivudine] were included in the analysis. Our findings underscore a potentially heightened cardiovascular risk associated with ABC, particularly in older PLWH or those with diabetes. These results highlight the need to consider individual CVD risk profiles when selecting ART regimens and reinforce the importance of ongoing pharmacovigilance to guide safer, more personalized treatment strategies worldwide."

Adverse events • Journal • Cardiovascular • Diabetes • Dyslipidemia • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Hypertension • Infectious Disease • Metabolic Disorders

Using pharmacogenomics to personalise drug therapy: which drugs, when and how. (PubMed, Aust Prescr) - "At the time of writing, tests for thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) (azathioprine, mercaptopurine, thioguanine) and human leucocyte antigen B*57:01 (abacavir) are Medicare-rebated. Pharmacogenomic testing is also recommended for several other drugs, such as allopurinol and clopidogrel, but these do not currently attract a Medicare rebate."

Biomarker • Journal • Review

Insights into regulatory T-cell and type-I interferon roles in determining abacavir-induced hypersensitivity or immune tolerance. (PubMed, Front Immunol) - "IFN-I and IL-2 were necessary for CD8+ T-cell differentiation and ABC-induced adverse reactions. This study unveils novel immune mechanisms driven by drug and host-related factors required for in vivo reactions and sheds light on potential biomarker and therapeutic targets for managing and preventing severe and life-threatening iDHR."

Journal • Immunology • Infectious Disease • CD4 • CD8 • FOXP3 • HLA-B • IL2

STEADY-SATE PHARMACOKINECTICS OF ABACAVIR IN RELATION TO HIV-1 SHEDDING INTO PERITONEAL DIALYSIS EFFLUENT (ERA 2025) - "The total blood Abacavir exposure, peak and trough levels were within the therapeutic range. Future studies may evaluate the influence of ARV drug resistance mutations on HIV-1 shedding into CAPD effluents."

Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Nephrology • Renal Disease

Effects of antiretrovirals on major adverse cardiovascular events in the REPRIEVE trial: a longitudinal cohort analysis. (PubMed, Lancet HIV) - P3 | "Previous and current use of abacavir increases the hazard of MACE among people with HIV at low-to-moderate CVD risk, suggesting that abacavir should be avoided and previous exposure considered when assessing the risk of MACE in this population."

Adverse events • Journal • Atherosclerosis • Cardiovascular • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • CD4

Time to say farewell to abacavir? (PubMed, Lancet HIV) - No abstract available

Journal

Differential effects of fentanyl compared to morphine on neuroinflammatory signaling in the brain in EcoHIV-infected mice. (PubMed, J Neurovirol) - "Fentanyl decreased dolutegravir in the hippocampus, while morphine decreased abacavir in both regions. These findings demonstrate that fentanyl and morphine exposure in the context of HIV produce distinct impacts on neuroinflammatory response, BBB integrity, and ARV brain exposure. Understanding these opioid-specific effects is critical for improving clinical outcomes and treatment strategies for individuals with HIV and OUD."

Journal • Preclinical • CNS Disorders • Cognitive Disorders • Developmental Disorders • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • Substance Abuse • CCL11 • CCL2 • CCL3 • CLDN5 • TJP1

Neuropsychiatric adverse events in people with HIV initiating a new integrase strand transfer inhibitor-based regimen in Italy: findings from the NEURO-INSTI study. (PubMed, BMC Infect Dis) - "Among PWH on INSTI treatment, IVDUh, concurrent psychiatric illness, abacavir and RAL use increased the risk of CNS/NP AEs occurrence. PWH on BIC were less likely to experience CNS/NP AEs and related treatment discontinuations."

Adverse events • Journal • CNS Disorders • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Mental Retardation • Psychiatry • CD4

Dolutegravir/Abacavir/Lamivudine in Acute HIV-1 Results in Rapid Suppression and Restoration of CD4 T-cell Subsets Without Accelerated Decay of Latent HIV-1. (PubMed, Open Forum Infect Dis) - "Thirty-four participants required rapid HLA-B*57 testing at screening; 97% resulted ≤24 hours, and 71% started ART ≤24 hours. Integrase-based ART during acute HIV-1 resulted in brisk viral suppression, preservation of CD4+ T-cell subsets, and decline in resting CD4+ T-cell infection."

Clinical • Journal • Hepatitis B • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • CD4 • CD8 • HLA-B

Second-Line Antiretroviral Therapy for Children Living with HIV in Africa. (PubMed, N Engl J Med) - "Second-line ART regimens including TAF-emtricitabine and dolutegravir were effective for children, with no evidence of safety concerns. Ritonavir-boosted darunavir was also effective. (Funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and others; CHAPAS-4 ISRCTN Registry number, ISRCTN22964075.)."

Journal • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease

Neuronal FGF13 Inhibits Mitochondria-Derived Damage Signals to Prevent Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. (PubMed, Adv Sci (Weinh)) - "Collectively, neuronal FGF13 inhibits the transfer of stressed mitochondria to glia, thereby impeding neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Abacavir is a promising neuroprotectant and sets a brake to PD progression."

Journal • Preclinical • CNS Disorders • Inflammation • Movement Disorders • Parkinson's Disease

A New Method for the Quantification of Ethyl Sulfate and Isopropyl Sulfate Contents in Abacavir Sulfate by Ion Chromatography. (PubMed, J Chromatogr Sci) - "The method is robust for EtS and IprS contents and also specific from other common anions, i.e., chloride, bromide, nitrate, sulfate, methyl sulfate and methanesulfonic acids. The results proved that the validated method was simple and cost-effective for controlling EtS and IprS contents in ABS drug substance, and the method can be successfully applied in the quality control analysis."

Journal

Pharmacokinetics of Generic Pediatric Abacavir/Lamivudine Dispersible Tablets in Thai Young Children Living With HIV Weighing Below Twenty Kilograms. (PubMed, Pediatr Infect Dis J) - "Twenty-eight Thai children were enrolled and received ABC/3TC-DT plus pediatric dolutegravir-DT once daily. ABC and 3TC exposures were within target ranges across WBs. These data supported current ABC/3TC-DT WHO-weight band dosing guidance for young children in Thailand."

Journal • PK/PD data • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Pediatrics

Cardiovascular Hazards of Abacavir- Versus Tenofovir-Containing Antiretroviral Therapies: Insights From an Analysis of the REPRIEVE Trial Cohort. (PubMed, Open Forum Infect Dis) - P3 | "the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) is ideally suited to evaluate the role of ABC and the TFV backbones, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Antiretroviral therapies with ABC backbones are associated with an increase in MACE compared to TFV backbones among people living with HIV at low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk. NCT02344290."

Journal • Atherosclerosis • Cardiovascular • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Myocardial Infarction • CD4

Dolutegravir plus lamivudine downregulates cellular stress responses versus three-drug HIV Regimens. (PubMed, AIDS) - "Reducing NRTIs in DTG-based 2DR, particularly by omitting ABC or TAF/TDF, suggests decreased activation of stress response and immune-related pathways. Importantly, the functional capacity of circulating immune cells remains largely unchanged between 2DR and 3DR."

Journal • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • CXCL8 • IL17A • PMM2

Weight Change in Trial of Switching From Second-Line bPI to B/F/TAF in a Context of Food Insecurity (CROI 2025) - "At enrollment, 175 (60%) were taking lopinavir/r and 115 (40%) atazanavir/r; 226 (78%) were taking tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, 51 (18%) zidovudine, and 13 (4%) abacavir; all were taking lamivudine or emtricitabine. In contrast, we observed weight loss in the standard of care group, which may have different clinical implications in settings with high rates of food insecurity. Understanding the implications of weight gain after stopping TDF is essential to guide global policies on TDF-sparing regimens."

Clinical

Viral Suppression 12 Months After Switch to Dolutegravir by nRTI Backbone in Children/Adolescents (CROI 2025) - "Background The World Health Organization recommends dolutegravir (DTG) for treatment-experienced children and adolescents regardless of their viral load (VL). Conclusions In our cohort of ART-experienced children and adolescents who switched to DTG-based ART, 12-month VS rates were high, although below the 95% UNAIDS target; and were similar in those who switched their NRTI or continued abacavir or tenofovir. Further studies are needed to assess long-term outcomes such as DTG resistance and effects of low level viraemia."

Clinical • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Pediatrics

Body Composition Changes in People With HIV Switching From or Maintaining TDF-Based Regimens (CROI 2025) - "Background Weight gain might occur in people with HIV (PWH) switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART), but data regarding body composition are missing...In the switching groups, time 1 (T1) was the date of switching to TAF (group 2) or abacavir (ABC) and/or lamivudine (3TC)-based ART (group 3), while in PWH who maintained TDF (group 1) was the closest date to other two groups...Trends over time for BC changes among the groups is shown in Table 1. Conclusions After 2 years of follow-up, maintaining TDF was associated with decrease in BMI and total lean mass, suggesting that weight loss observed with TDF regimens might be related to unhealthy lean loss."

Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • CD4

Kidney Dysfunction in Young People Living With HIV on Dolutegravir-Based Regimens in Kampala, Uganda (CROI 2025) - "Background Young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) are at increased risk of developing kidney abnormalities due to antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)...Chi-square tests were used to compare kidney function parameters of those on TDF/DTG vs DTG combined with either zidovudine or abacavir (other regimens)...While kidney function was largely within normal limits except creatinine which was higher among those on TDF/DTG, these findings raise concern. Longer-term follow-up is needed to understand whether YPLHIV on ART will develop chronic kidney disease as they age, and to elucidate risk factors for kidney disease progression that may be modifiable."

Chronic Kidney Disease • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Nephrology • Renal Disease • CST3

Genotypic Resistance in the African Paediatric CHAPAS-4 Trial of Second-Line Antiretroviral Therapy (CROI 2025) - "Background In the CHAPAS-4 trial of second-line antiretroviral therapy following NNRTI-based first-line, 96-week efficacy was superior for tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) vs standard-of-care (SOC: abacavir (ABC)/zidovudine (ZDV)), and for dolutegravir (DTG) vs ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r)/atazanavir (ATV/r)...Methods Randomisation was simultaneously to TAF vs ABC/ZDV, and DTG vs darunavir (DRV/r) vs LPV/r vs ATV/r...Intermediate/high-level resistance to anchor was: 0/29 LPV/r, 4% (1/26) ATV/r (1 TAF/FTC), 0/18 DRV/r and 22% (2/9) DTG (2 ZDV/3TC)...Three children on ZDV/3TC (2 DTG,1 LPV/r) developed new high-level emtricitabine/lamivudine (FTC/3TC) resistance (M184V)...W96 intermediate/high-level anchor drug resistance was uncommon, and as in second-line adult and paediatric trials, resistance to DTG only occurred in children taking ZDV. These results will inform second-line treatment guidelines for children."

Clinical • Pediatrics

Impact of ART Simplification With Dolutegravir and Lamivudine on the HIV Reservoir (CROI 2025) - "Methods Thirty-six people living with HIV, who received a triple therapy consisting of Dolutegravir (DTG), Abacavir (ABC) and Lamivudine (3TC) and had been fully suppressed for at least 2 years, were enrolled in a phase 3 randomised clinical trial. Conclusions Switching to DTG/3TC maintained plasma viral load suppression, didn't measurably impact HIV persistence markers in blood or tissue, and reduced systemic inflammation. These findings support the use of DTG/3TC in people living with HIV."

IO biomarker • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • CD38 • CD8 • IFNG • IL1B • IL6 • PD-1 • TIGIT • TNFA

Compound screening in human airway basal cells identifies Wnt pathway activators as potential pro-regenerative therapies. (PubMed, J Cell Sci) - "17 pro-proliferative compounds were validated in independent donor cell cultures, including the antiretroviral therapy abacavir and several Wnt signalling pathway activating compounds...Our results demonstrate the pro-proliferative effect of small-molecule Wnt pathway activators on airway basal cells. These findings contribute to the rationale to develop novel approaches to modulate Wnt signalling during airway epithelial repair."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Respiratory Diseases

HIV Combination Drug Therapies: Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Quantitation of Abacavir, Dolutegravir, and Lamivudine in Rat Matrices in Support of Toxicology Studies. (PubMed, J Anal Toxicol) - "These data demonstrate that this simple and efficient method is suitable for quantitation of ABC, DTG, and 3TC in rat matrices generated from toxicology studies. The method can easily be adapted to other biological matrices and species (e.g., human)."

Journal • Preclinical • Cardiovascular • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease