Clinical trial will test long acting HIV injection

A long-acting, injectable HIV drug combo is to be tested in a clinical trial of 350 volunteers with HIV.

The LATITUDE trial will test the experimental two drug regimen – a combination of Janssen’s rilpivirine (RPV) with ViiV’s cabotegravir (CAB) – in patients who have in the past 18 months documented treatment relapses.

LATITUDE, short for ‘Long-Acting Therapy to Improve Treatment Success in Daily Life’, will test the injectable combo’s effectiveness in managing HIV infections in the adult population.

As many as one quarter of patients prescribed conventional antiretroviral treatments (ART) stop taking the medications for some period of time.

Factors including lack of access to health care, economic and housing insecurity and stigma all may influence a person's ability to adhere to a treatment regimen.

As such long-acting ART formulations may be particularly useful for those who cannot or would prefer not to take medication each day or to not keep oral medications in their home or possession.

"Monthly injectable antiretroviral therapy may prove more convenient, discreet and appropriate for some people living with HIV," said Dr Aadia Rana, associate professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for AIDS Research and protocol co-chair of LATITUDE.

"Our study aims to help people living with HIV and facing challenges with adherence find a treatment option that meets their health needs and fits into their lives, allowing them to experience the health benefits of becoming durably, virally suppressed."

"Adhering to daily medication remains a major health care challenge for patients with chronic health conditions," said Dr Jose Castillo-Mancilla, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and protocol co-chair of LATITUDE.

"The generous volunteers who enrol in this study will help to ensure that more people living with HIV may have effective treatment regimens that work for them."

Louis Goss

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