Australian Government - Department of Health and Ageing

Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC)

1127 Genotypic Resistance Testing of Antiretrovirals in HIV

Application No.

1127

Application NameGenotypic Resistance Testing of Antiretrovirals in HIV
Advisory PanelProfessor Brendon Kearney
(Chair)
(MSAC Member until 30/12/08)
Dr Judy Soper
(Deputy Chair)
(MSAC Member until 30/06/09)
Mr John Daye
(Consumers' Health Forum of Australia nominee)
Dr Bronwen Harvey
(Department of Health and Ageing)
Associate Professor Anne Mijch
(Co-opted Member)
Professor Andrew Carr
(Co-opted Member)
Professor Suzanne Crowe
(Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases nominee)
Date Received by MSAC Secretariat14 May 2008
Stage 1 - EligibilityEligible
Stage 2 - AssessmentCompleted
Stage 3 - Formulation of Advice to the Minister
Noting of MSAC advice by the Minister does not constitute a final decision in relation to the provision of public funding.
MSAC considered this assessment on 4 December 2009.
The Minister noted MSAC's advice on 3 March 2010.
Stage 4 - DecisionMSAC agreed that GART is safe, effective and cost-effective, and that it is more effective and is less costly than the comparator of clinical care without GART.

MSAC supported public funding for genotypic testing, with expert interpretation, for anti-retroviral resistance in patients with HIV infection at presentation, prior to initiation of therapy or in the setting of virological failure during combination antiretroviral therapy where the development of resistance is suspected. It was noted that patients must have a HIV viral load threshold of > 1,000 copies/ml to qualify for subsidised testing. MSAC suggested the inclusion of a note to prescribers about community and in-hospital prescribing that drug resistance testing in the setting of virological failure whilst on HAART should be performed while the patient is taking his/her antiretroviral drugs or no more than four weeks prior to a change in therapy.

Stage 5 - ImplementationIn Progress