Kampala lab to monitor HIV drug resistance

To solve the drug resistance problem, the Medical Research Centre/Uganda Virus Research Institute laboratory was commissioned at Entebbe recently.

It will be the regional reference lab to monitor drug resistance for the East African region.

“The lab will enable research on intervention and better care for HIV, monitor drug resistance, diagnosis, measure safety parameters and train more scientists for the region,” Uganda Virus Research Institute assistant director Pontious Kaleebu said.

Research on drug resistance in partnership with Europe Africa Research Network on Second line Therapy (Earnest) has also started at IDI.

The trial will determine the best second line option for resource limited settings in terms of cost, effectiveness and safety.

Patients who fail on first line ART shall randomly be distributed to three groups (arms), each having a combination of drugs, which researchers think are best suited for the second line.

The best group shall determine the best second line therapy and will present reasons why.

Boost to second line therapy

“This information shall be used to inform policy makers in regard to second line therapy which is an emerging subject of great importance and impact now,” said Dr Mambule Kiggundu, the study co-ordinator for the Earnest trial.

After Ms Mbabazi discovered she suffered from lipodostrophy, she presented her case to her doctor who had insisted that since she was “not sick and not about to die,” she remains on the first line combination drugs.

But a new doctor changed her regimen to another combination — Tenovifir, Nevirapine and Epivir which are still first line drugs but of a different combination.

“Look at me,” she demonstrates standing up “I am now a bit more proportional, the lipodostrophy is not progressing and my nails are not black anymore.”

“The Medical Research Centre/Uganda Virus Research Institute unit in Uganda is an example of what can be achieved through collaborative working, taking medical research right through from the lab to the patients’ bedside, improving the health and life span of millions,” said Heiner Grosskurth, the director of the unit.