Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study

Abstract Background Weight gain has been associated with the use of antiretrovirals in people with HIV, especially with integrase inhibitors or tenofovir alafenamide, and among women. In 2018, doravirine became the latest non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor to be approved in the US. We as...

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Main Authors: Karam Mounzer, Laurence Brunet, Michael Sension, Ricky K. Hsu, Michael D. Osterman, Jennifer S. Fusco, Yohance O. Whiteside, Gregory P. Fusco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:AIDS Research and Therapy
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12981-025-00761-5
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author Karam Mounzer
Laurence Brunet
Michael Sension
Ricky K. Hsu
Michael D. Osterman
Jennifer S. Fusco
Yohance O. Whiteside
Gregory P. Fusco
author_facet Karam Mounzer
Laurence Brunet
Michael Sension
Ricky K. Hsu
Michael D. Osterman
Jennifer S. Fusco
Yohance O. Whiteside
Gregory P. Fusco
author_sort Karam Mounzer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Weight gain has been associated with the use of antiretrovirals in people with HIV, especially with integrase inhibitors or tenofovir alafenamide, and among women. In 2018, doravirine became the latest non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor to be approved in the US. We assessed changes in weight over time among virologically suppressed individuals who switched to a regimen containing doravirine (DOR). Methods From the US-based OPERA cohort, treatment-experienced adults with HIV who switched to a DOR-containing regimen between 30AUG2018-30NOV2022 with a viral load < 50 copies/mL were included (followed through 31MAY2023). The study population was characterized and a linear mixed model was used to estimate rates of weight change on DOR. Results were stratified by sex, by patterns of efavirenz (EFV) and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) use before/after switch to DOR, and by integrase inhibitor (INSTI) & tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) use combination (restricted to individuals who maintained the same combination before/after switch). Results Of 388 included individuals, 21% were women, 33% were Black, and 78% were obese or overweight at DOR switch. Overall, people who switched to DOR lost an average of 0.80 kg/year (95% CI: -1.32, -0.28). Both women and men experienced statistically significant weight loss; women (70% Black, 70% aged ≥ 40 years) lost weight at a rate of -1.67 kg/year (95% CI: -3.32, -0.02) and men at a rate of -0.60 kg/year (95% CI: -1.12, -0.08). When EFV and TDF were absent before and after switch to DOR, statistically significant weight loss was observed. Among those who had the same INSTI and TAF combination throughout and had any INSTI or TAF use, a statistically non-significant trend toward weight loss was observed. Conclusions In one of the first real-world analyses of weight changes among virologically suppressed individuals who switched to a DOR-containing regimen in the US, DOR was associated with statistically significant weight loss. Patterns of use of other antiretrovirals did not fully explain the observed weight loss. These findings are clinically meaningful given that most individuals included were overweight or obese at switch to DOR and that women were predominantly of perimenopausal or menopausal age.
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spelling doaj-art-45045b8a8e7e4ac79b633e4b7eb23e322025-08-20T03:22:57ZengBMCAIDS Research and Therapy1742-64052025-06-0122111110.1186/s12981-025-00761-5Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort studyKaram Mounzer0Laurence Brunet1Michael Sension2Ricky K. Hsu3Michael D. Osterman4Jennifer S. Fusco5Yohance O. Whiteside6Gregory P. Fusco7Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health CentersEpividian, IncCAN Community HealthAIDS Healthcare Foundation and NYU Langone Medical CenterEpividian, IncEpividian, IncMerck & Co., IncEpividian, IncAbstract Background Weight gain has been associated with the use of antiretrovirals in people with HIV, especially with integrase inhibitors or tenofovir alafenamide, and among women. In 2018, doravirine became the latest non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor to be approved in the US. We assessed changes in weight over time among virologically suppressed individuals who switched to a regimen containing doravirine (DOR). Methods From the US-based OPERA cohort, treatment-experienced adults with HIV who switched to a DOR-containing regimen between 30AUG2018-30NOV2022 with a viral load < 50 copies/mL were included (followed through 31MAY2023). The study population was characterized and a linear mixed model was used to estimate rates of weight change on DOR. Results were stratified by sex, by patterns of efavirenz (EFV) and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) use before/after switch to DOR, and by integrase inhibitor (INSTI) & tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) use combination (restricted to individuals who maintained the same combination before/after switch). Results Of 388 included individuals, 21% were women, 33% were Black, and 78% were obese or overweight at DOR switch. Overall, people who switched to DOR lost an average of 0.80 kg/year (95% CI: -1.32, -0.28). Both women and men experienced statistically significant weight loss; women (70% Black, 70% aged ≥ 40 years) lost weight at a rate of -1.67 kg/year (95% CI: -3.32, -0.02) and men at a rate of -0.60 kg/year (95% CI: -1.12, -0.08). When EFV and TDF were absent before and after switch to DOR, statistically significant weight loss was observed. Among those who had the same INSTI and TAF combination throughout and had any INSTI or TAF use, a statistically non-significant trend toward weight loss was observed. Conclusions In one of the first real-world analyses of weight changes among virologically suppressed individuals who switched to a DOR-containing regimen in the US, DOR was associated with statistically significant weight loss. Patterns of use of other antiretrovirals did not fully explain the observed weight loss. These findings are clinically meaningful given that most individuals included were overweight or obese at switch to DOR and that women were predominantly of perimenopausal or menopausal age.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12981-025-00761-5HIVDoravirineWeightDurabilityCohortReal-world evidence
spellingShingle Karam Mounzer
Laurence Brunet
Michael Sension
Ricky K. Hsu
Michael D. Osterman
Jennifer S. Fusco
Yohance O. Whiteside
Gregory P. Fusco
Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
AIDS Research and Therapy
HIV
Doravirine
Weight
Durability
Cohort
Real-world evidence
title Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
title_full Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
title_fullStr Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
title_short Weight loss with real-world doravirine use in the OPERA cohort: a US-based cohort study
title_sort weight loss with real world doravirine use in the opera cohort a us based cohort study
topic HIV
Doravirine
Weight
Durability
Cohort
Real-world evidence
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12981-025-00761-5
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