GSK Says HIV Shot Is Better than Daily Pills for Some Patients

All patients in a trial have been offered the long-acting drug. Drugmaker is betting on injectable treatments for HIV.

GSK Plc’s long-acting HIV drug worked better than daily pills for some patients, especially those who have trouble adhering to a treatment schedule, according to a unit of the UK pharmaceutical company.

The positive interim results from an ongoing trial have resulted in all patients in the study being offered the long-acting injectable drug, said ViiV Healthcare, which specializes in HIV treatments and is majority owned by GSK. The drug, called Cabenuva, is injected as two shots every four weeks. It was approved in the US in 2021.

Cabenuva is a combination of Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine

The results follow up on ViiV Healthcare’s report a year ago of a trial that showed Cabenuva was as effective as daily pills. The latest results indicate that for those who struggle to keep to a daily pill regimen, the long-acting injection worked better than oral medication.

Cabenuva is a combination of Cabotegravir – Integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI),  and Rilpivirine – Non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI).

The full data is set to be presented at an upcoming medical conference.

GSK has made a major push into long-acting HIV drugs as it works to soften the blow from the loss of exclusivity of its blockbuster drug dolutegravir, which is set to face competition in the US in 2028 and in Europe by 2029.

By that time, GSK expects around 40% of its HIV business to be in long-acting therapies.

“The interim data indicating the superiority of long-acting therapy compared to daily oral therapy in individuals who have difficulty taking pills for HIV every day is a remarkable outcome,” said Kimberly Smith, head of research and development at ViiV Healthcare.

 

February 23, 2024