Population Effectiveness of Dolutegravir Implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa (DISCO)

July 12, 2026 updated by: Mark Siedner, Massachusetts General Hospital

Population Effectiveness of Dolutegravir Implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study

This is a prospective observational cohort study enrolling participants in South Africa and Uganda who are prescribed an HIV treatment regimen containing lamivudine, tenofovir, and dolutegravir, which is known as TLD. We hope to better understand how effective TLD will be in sub-Saharan Africa. If treatment failure occurs, we seek to understand the possible reasons, including drug resistance and adherence challenges.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study is a prospective observational cohort study at three government-supported HIV clinics in rural South Africa and Uganda. We will enroll 1,000 adults living with HIV who are switched from first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) containing non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) to TLD. We will follow participants for one year with study visits at enrollment, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks. Study procedures include interviews, body measurements, chart review, and collection of blood and urine specimens for retrospective testing, including viral load, drug resistance testing, antiretroviral drug level testing, and tests to evaluate the effects of TLD on renal, liver, metabolic, and other organ function.

Aim 1: To determine the contributions of resistance prior to switch to TLD from a NNRTI-based regimen to risk of treatment failure after six and twelve months on TLD. Hypothesis: People living with HIV who experience virologic failure on TLD will have increased odds of NRTI mutations prior to TLD exposure, compared to controls with virologic suppression.

Aim 2: Explore pharmacologic measures of adherence to distinguish virologic failure on TLD due to suboptimal adherence versus resistance using 2a) urine tenofovir (TFV) levels and 2b) tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots (DBS). Hypothesis: Absence of TFV in urine and TFV-DP concentrations in DBS will distinguish ART failure with versus without resistance.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
999

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • South Africa
    • KwaZulu-Natal
      • Somkele, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
        • Africa Health Research Institute
  • Uganda
      • Mbarara, Uganda
        • Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This study will enroll a total of 1,000 individuals from Uganda and South Africa, who are currently enrolled in care at one of the study clinics who have been taking NNRTI-based ART for a minimum of six months, and who are switching to TLD. 500 participants will be recruited from Uganda, and 500 will be recruited from South Africa.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥18 years
  • HIV-positive and in care at one of the study clinics
  • Current use of NNRTI-based, first-line ART for a minimum of 6 months
  • Prescribed change to TLD by clinic staff
  • Residing within 100 kilometers of the treatment clinic without plans to change permanent residence in the next 48 weeks
  • Consents to participation

Exclusion Criteria:

There are no specific exclusion criteria. Both men and women will be theoretically eligible. We note that decision to use TLD in patients at the recruitment clinic will be made by clinic staff, and referral for study procedures will not be made until after this decision is made. We also note that, as of the time of this protocol draft, TLD use might be limited to men, women of non-child bearing ages, and women confirmed to be on contraception. This study will follow both national guidelines and clinician discretion about use of TLD in the clinic population.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Study Population
The study will enroll a total of 1,000 ART-experienced participants from the study sites in Uganda and South Africa who are being transitioned to TLD from non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase-based antiretroviral therapy.
Other: This is an observational study only.
This is an observational study only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Participants With Virologic Failure (HIV-1 RNA >= 200 Copies/mL)
Time Frame: 48 weeks
HIV-1 RNA >= 200 copies/mL
48 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Participants With Virologic Failure (HIV-1 RNA >= 1,000 Copies/mL)
Time Frame: 48 weeks
HIV-1 RNA >= 1,000 copies/mL
48 weeks
Proportion of Participants With HIV Drug Resistance
Time Frame: 24 and 48 weeks
Proportion of participants with International AIDS Society-defined drug resistance mutations to their current regimen
24 and 48 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Emory University
Wellcome Trust
ViiV Healthcare
Mbarara University of Science and Technology
University of KwaZulu
Africa Health Research Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Suzanne M McCluskey, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Mark J Siedner, MD, MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital, Africa Health Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 14, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 21, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 21, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 22, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2019P000898-A
  • K23AI143470 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • 212215 (Other Grant/Funding Number: ViiV Healthcare)
  • WT108082AIA (Other Grant/Funding Number: Wellcome Trust)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data will be made public and accessible through request after completion of the primary analysis.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After completion of the primary analysis

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified data and supporting information will be made available upon request after agreement among the principal investigators, and based on what is allowable in the study informed consent documents.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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