Amita Gupta
India
School of Medicine, MD program >>View Final Report
A single dose of Nevirapine (SD NVP) given as prophylaxis in the intrapartum period is effective in decreasing the rates of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). Recent research however has shown that SD NVP can also lead to development of resistance in both the mothers and the infants. Studies have revealed that certain subtypes of HIV virus are more susceptible to developing resistance than others. In India, over 700 HIV-infected pregnant women have been enrolled in an NIH-funded Phase III clinical trial to assess the role of nevirapine prophylaxis given to breastfed infants. Many of the enrolled women received SD NVP during labor. The proposed study will include all the women from the Indian MTCT study who have subsequently started combination anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Virologic suppression and anti-retroviral resistance at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months post-ART treatment initiation will be evaluated.
The main objective of the study is to determine if SD NVP given to HIV-infected women in India during labor has led to the development of viral resistance and has contributed towards decreased efficacy of the current nevirapine-containing anti-retroviral therapy. A study of this manner has not been previously conducted in India and limited data exist from other resource-limited settings where SD NVP has been commonly implemented. This information is crucial for determining future treatment plans for the prevention of mother-to-infant transmission in India and other countries with limited resources. >> See all Spring 2006 Framework Award winners
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