Do we need routine integrase resistance testing before starting antiretroviral therapy?

Abstract

Oral second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors are now anchor drugs of antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally due to their high resistance barriers. In high-income settings, guidelines recommend routine protease and reverse transcriptase resistance testing before ART initiation but suggest routine integrase resistance testing only for individuals at elevated risk of integrase resistance. Improved characterisation of transmitted integrase resistance, its detection, and its clinical impact will guide future recommendations for clinical decision making. Balancing the need to protect this important drug class against concerns about resource allocation and care complexity presents a substantial challenge. Shifting the responsibility to providers to decide whether and when to test for integrase resistance before ART initiation can be problematic, particularly given the uncertainty around the need to reassess related available recommendations. As our understanding of integrase resistance evolves, prioritising this discussion is essential, and providers, researchers, and policy makers should engage in addressing this important issue.