Once-a-month injection to treat HIV passes two initial trials

The HIV treatment revolution continues as doctors announce the results of two separate trials of a once-a-month injection designed to treat the virus. In short, things look good.

The news came at an HIV research conference in Seattle in early March. ViiV Healthcare announced that an extended release injection works just as well as a once-a-day pill in neutralizing the virus. The study also found that the participants preferred a once a month injection to the routine of taking a pill every day.

Related: US government concludes that HIV is untransmittable at undetectable levels

Dr. John Pottage Jr., Chief Medical Officer for ViiV, remarked: “If approved, this [treatment] would give people living with HIV one month between each dose of antiretroviral therapy, changing HIV treatment from 365 dosing days per year, to just 12.” He added that additional trials will continue to move forward.

Of the new findings, Kat Smithson of National AIDS Trust added: “The potential for HIV to be successfully treated with an injection repeated every month, rather than pills taken every day, could be life-enhancing for many people. Although we are some way off this treatment being available to patients, we are excited about the potential for this to improve life for people living with HIV.”

The report also brings hope to users of PrEP, the once-a-day pill regimen designed at preventing transmission of HIV, as the same treatment could also prove effective as a form of prophylaxis.

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