Safety and Tolerability of Once Daily Coformulated Bictegravir, Emtricitabine, and Tenofovir Alafenamide for Postexposure Prophylaxis After Sexual Exposure.

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended to prevent HIV infection after a high-risk exposure, but current regimens have presented challenges in tolerability, regimen completion, and potential drug-drug interactions. Because coformulated bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide [BIC/FTC/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)] is effective for HIV treatment, it was evaluated for use for PEP.

SETTING

Boston community health center.

METHODS

Individuals accessing PEP were enrolled in an open-label study of coformulated BIC/FTC/TAF, taken as one pill daily for 28 days. Pearson's χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess whether BIC/FTC/TAF differed with respect to side effects and regimen completion rates compared with historical PEP regimens.

RESULTS

Between August, 2018 and March, 2020, 52 individuals enrolled in the study. Most identified as cisgender gay (67.3%) or bisexual (11.5%) men, but 7.7% identified as cisgender heterosexual men and 3.8% cisgender heterosexual women. The most common regimen side effects were nausea or vomiting (15.4%), fatigue (9.6%), and diarrhea/loose stools (7.7%), which were less common than historical controls using other PEP regimens, including those containing other integrase strand transfer inhibitors. Only 1 participant discontinued the regimen because of fatigue, and all other side effects were self-limited. Almost all participants (90.4%) completed the indicated regimen, which was a higher completion rate compared with earlier PEP regimens, and none became HIV-positive.

CONCLUSIONS

BIC/FTC/TAF coformulated as a single daily pill was found to be safe, well-tolerated, and highly acceptable when used for PEP, and compared more favorably than historical PEP regimens used at an urban health center.