Objective

We evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of raltegravir in HIV-infected women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods

International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials 1026s is an ongoing prospective study of antiretroviral PK during pregnancy (NCT00042289). Women receiving 400 mg raltegravir twice daily in combination antiretroviral therapy had intensive steady-state 12-hour PK profiles performed during pregnancy and at 6- to 12-week postpartum. Targets were trough concentration above 0.035 μg/mL, the estimated 10th percentile in nonpregnant historical controls.

Results

Median raltegravir area under the curve was 6.6 μg·h/mL for second trimester (n = 16), 5.4 μg·h/mL for third trimester (n = 41), and 11.6 μg·h/mL postpartum (n = 38) (P = 0.03 postpartum vs second trimester, P = 0.001 pp vs third trimester). Trough concentrations were above the target in 69%, 80%, and 79% of second trimester, third trimester, and postpartum subjects, respectively, with wide variability (<0.010-0.917 μg/mL), and no significant difference between third trimester and postpartum trough concentrations was detected. The median ratio of cord blood/maternal raltegravir concentrations was 1.5. HIV RNA levels were <400 copies per milliliter in 92% of women at delivery. Adverse events included elevated liver transaminases in 1 woman and vomiting in 1. All infants with known status are HIV uninfected.

Conclusions

Median raltegravir area under the curve was reduced by approximately 50% during pregnancy; trough concentrations were frequently below target both during late pregnancy and postpartum. Raltegravir readily crossed the placenta. High rates of viral suppression at delivery and the lack of a clear relationship between raltegravir concentration and virologic effect in nonpregnant adults suggest that despite the decreased exposure during pregnancy, a higher dose is not necessary.

Key HIV cure strategies involve reversing immune dysfunction and limiting the proliferation of infected T cells. We evaluate the safety of sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, in people with HIV (PWH) and study the impact of sirolimus on HIV-1 reservoir size and HIV-1-specific immunity in a single-arm study of 20 weeks of treatment in PWH on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Sirolimus treatment does not impact HIV-1-specific CD8 T cell responses but leads to a significant decrease in CD4⁺ T cell-associated HIV-1 DNA levels at 20 weeks of therapy in the primary efficacy population (n = 16; 31% decline, p = 0.008). This decline persists for at least 12 weeks following cessation of the study drug. Sirolimus treatment also leads to a significant reduction in CD4⁺ T cell cycling and PD-1 expression on CD8⁺ lymphocytes. These data suggest that homeostatic proliferation of infected cells, an important mechanism for HIV persistence, is an intriguing therapeutic target.