Monthly HIV Injection Treatments Could Soon Become Available

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

One of the toughest things about taking daily medications is actually remembering to take the damn things. Studies have consistently shown that many people frequently forget to take their meds, and that’s a big problem, particularly if they’re living with HIV and rely on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to keep the virus in check.

That’s why the health care company Viiv Healthcare has just announced the completion of two clinical trials involving more than 1,0000 people for a monthly injectable antiretroviral medication, which they say works just as well as the standard course of daily, pill-based treatment for people with HIV.

According to the company, which presented the findings at an HIV health care conference in Seattle last month, the injection involves a combination of two drugs: cabotegravir, a new drug that is currently undergoing trials, and rilpivirine, an antiviral that was developed by the pharmaceutical company Janssen. The treatment would essentially allow people to receive injections of antiretroviral medication once a month, as opposed to taking a combination of drugs on a daily basis. The researchers behind the trials claim that the patients who received the injectable treatment overwhelmingly preferred it to the standard pill-based course of treatment.

This is great news for the estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States, many of whom have been taking standard antiretroviral medication for decades. While ART has proven to be effective at slowing the progression of the virus, it’s often cumbersome for people to remember to regularly take the pills, and it can be difficult for some people (particularly low-income people) to travel to clinics to obtain medication. The drugs can also yield unpleasant side effects when combined with other medications, which would be reduced in the monthly injectable medication, Viiv Healthcare said.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/hiv-injection-treatments-810102/

[Liberal Veteran]

1. It could be useful to some. I've only missed like two doses in 19 years.

But I'm probably the exception rather than the rule.

I started out with Sustiva 600mg (daily) and Combivir (twice a day AZT and 3tc).
Switched over to Sustiva and Truvada to make it a daily regimen.
When Atripla (combo pill of Sustiva/Truvada) came out, switched to that and I've been on it so long, Atripla is not even recommended for first line therapy anymore. However, it still works for me, so I see no reason to switch to newer ARTs.

I was at death's door when I started taking antivirals. I was in bad enough shape that my case coordinator referred me to hospice services.

In my own case, I'll probably stick with oral dosing just because I've incorporated it into my life very well and don't really relish the idea of having to visit the doctor once a month to get an injection.

Now if they come out with something that lasts a year at a time...I'll definitely make the switch.

[Ms. Toad]

2. It's possible it cold be self-injectable -

like heparin or insulin.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. I could do that if subcutaneous, but intramuscular I probably wouldn't be able to do myself.

I've had to give myself injections under the skin many many times (toyed around with IL-2 to raise my CD4 count doing twice daily injections for 5 days every 8 weeks, did human growth hormone for awhile, and did Imitrex shots for migraines).

I suppose if they made it dummy proof, I could do it, but if I had to do it old school by drawing up medicine and injecting it with a 1 and 1/2 inch needle, I'd need someone else to do it.

[Ms. Toad]

4. I couldn't tell from the article what it was.

I've done the subQ heparin thing for two periods of time.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. My thought is that it probably will be intramuscular.

Much like Depo-Provera.