Game-changing HIV research offers hope for people with HIV and to end AIDS

Shobha Shukla - CNS
Contd from previous issue
Instead, they have the option to go for long-acting antiretroviral medicines.
The most advanced HIV treatment available today is a two-drug long-acting injectable antiretroviral-based regimen consisting of Rilpivirine and Cabotegravir that reduces the burden of treatment to just six or twelve injections per year. Long-acting injectable Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine antiretroviral drugs are administered as separate injections once every month or every two months. This regimen can be used by adults living with HIV who have been on oral antiretroviral therapy and are virally suppressed for at least three months.
Two studies- ATLAS and FLAIR- compared if long-acting injectable antiretroviral medicines (Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine) have the same efficacy, safety and tolerability, as the oral daily antiretroviral medicines  taken by people living with HIV. Both these studies found that whether a person takes daily oral medication or long-acting injectables, efficacy, safety and tolerability, are similar (non-inferior).
Data of ATLAS 2M study at 252 weeks, presented at CROI 2022, shows that efficacy, safety and tolerability were similar between monthly and two-monthly dosing of injectable  Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine.
(To be contd)