July 24, 2017- Long-acting injectable therapy for HIV appears to maintain
viral suppression as effectively as daily oral treatment, according to
an international, industry-funded, phase 2b trial. The results were
presented on Monday at the International AIDS Society annual meeting and
published in the Lancet.
Nearly 300 previously
untreated adults who achieved HIV viral suppression during 20 weeks'
treatment with oral cabotegravir plus abacavir-lamivudine were
randomized to continue oral therapy or switch to intramuscular
injections of long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine every 4 weeks (2
injections) or 8 weeks (3 injections). Cabotegravir is an experimental
integrase strand transfer inhibitor.
At 32 weeks after
randomization, rates of continued viral suppression were similar in the
three groups: 91% with oral treatment, 94% with 4-week injections, and
95% with 8-week injections. At week 96, viral suppression rates were
84%, 87%, and 94%, respectively. There were no serious, drug-related
adverse events.
HIV expert Dr. Paul Sax commented, "The
importance of this study is that many patients with HIV have expressed
interest in alternatives to taking medications daily, and the results
confirm that this is feasible. However, as this regimen is currently
configured — with the manufacturer planning to seek FDA approval for two
non-self-administered injections every 4 weeks — it is unlikely to be
broadly adopted until there are less frequent or more easily given
strategies."
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