Once-weekly oral treatment using the HIV capsid inhibitor lenacapavir (Sunlenca) and islatravir, a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, kept the virus suppressed as well as daily pills, researchers reported at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Daily antiretrovirals are effective, but some people can’t take pills every day. Some prefer long-acting injectables, but others don’t like shots or find injection appointments inconvenient. In a Phase II trial, 104 adults with viral suppression on Biktarvy (bictegravir/tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine) were randomized to stay on the daily pills or switch to once-weekly lenacapavir plus islatravir pills. In both groups, 94% maintained an undetectable viral load. The weekly treatment was safe with no clinically significant decreases in T cells. Other researchers reported early data for weekly oral anti-retrovirals further back in the pipeline, including another nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (MK-8527), an integrase inhibitor (GS-1720) and an NNRTI (GS-5894).
Treatment: Weekly Pills
Once-weekly treatment kept HIV suppressed as well as daily pills.
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