Urine Tenofovir Rapid Assay May Boost ART Adherence But Not Viral Suppression In Patients With HIV, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (8/5, Nye) reports a study found that “although urine tenofovir rapid assay (UTRA)-enhanced adherence support may improve long-term exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and reduce HIV-associated inflammation, it does not result in significantly higher virologic suppression rates.” Investigators observed that the “rate of virologic suppression at 12 months was 74% with UTRA testing and 64% with standard care. Similar trends in virologic suppression were observed at 6 months (74% vs 64%). Compared with standard care, the UTRA intervention was associated with significantly higher tenofovir-diphosphate concentrations in dried blood spots and plasma.” When stratified by virologic suppression status at 12 months, researchers saw that “no cutoff for tenofovir-diphosphate concentration in dried blood spots predicted VB, but the maximum sensitivity and specificity was observed with a concentration of 332 pmol/3 mm.” The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.