First long-acting HIV-treatment to be distributed in European countries
pharmafile | October 28, 2021 | News story | Business Services |
ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company, have presented positive interim data showing Vocabria (cabotegravir) and Rekambys (rilpivirine), the first long-acting HIV-treatment regimen, can be implemented successfully in a variety of European healthcare settings.
People living with HIV on the regimen were receptive to the regimen, with 97% feeling it was acceptable to receive an injection during a clinic visit every 2 months. Interim findings were presented at the 18th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2021).
Implementation concerns, identified among healthcare teams at the start of the study, reduced significantly when compared to the baseline across all European countries involved once the study began. The barriers cited as being the most “moderately” to “extremely concerning” at Month 1 included risk of resistance (36% compared to 16% at Month 5), enough staffing (34%, compared to 18% at Month 5), and injection pain/soreness (34%, compared to 25% at Month 5).
Dr Laurence Slama, CARISEL investigator, l’Hôtel Dieu Hospital, Paris, said: “Despite some initial concerns around implementing long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine, the CARISEL study interim findings showed that healthcare teams and people living with HIV continued to feel positive about the regimen as the study progressed. These findings were seen across all five European countries in which the study was conducted, suggesting that implementation of this regimen works well across diverse healthcare systems and settings.
Harmony P Garges, Chief Medical Officer at ViiV Healthcare, said: “At ViiV Healthcare, we are proud to offer innovative treatment choices that help address the evolving needs of people living with HIV. We are encouraged by the interim data from CARISEL, as it shows that implementation of the first complete long-acting HIV regimen is feasible, with positive sentiment seen across multiple European countries in varied clinical settings.”
Ana Ovey
