ARMED: an Australian cohort retrospective observational study to understand motivations for switching and clinical outcomes of individuals switching to dolutegravir/lamivudine

Background Although clinical trials and real-world studies demonstrate the efficacy and tolerability of dolutegravir and lamivudine (DTG + 3TC), Australian real-world evidence remains limited despite differences in access to health care and prescribing context. Here, we present the motivations for switching to DTG/3TC (a fixed-dose, single-tablet regimen) and treatment outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective, observational analysis of individuals with HIV with an undetectable viral load (VL; Results Overall, 276 individuals with HIV who switched to DTG/3TC were included. Most were male (97%) and White (76%), with a median (interquartile range) age of 54 (45–61) years. The most common antiretroviral therapy before DTG/3TC switch was abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine (54%). The most common reason for switching to DTG/3TC was clinician preference for two-drug regimen (43%). Most individuals (98%) maintained virologic suppression (VL  Conclusions These real-world data support the use of DTG/3TC as a viable treatment strategy in this Australian population of individuals with HIV.