Research reveals new injections prevent HIV infection

A global study on injectable HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs was discontinued early after researchers found the drug to be very effective.

Long-acting antiretroviral drugs given every two months as injections have been shown in large studies to provide “strong” protection from HIV to uninfected people.

The apparent success is said to be an easier way than taking other antiretroviral drugs daily.

Known as Cabotegravir (CAB), the drug is manufactured by ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company founded as a joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, which specializes in developing treatments for HIV infection.

If a treatment or prophylactic trial is stopped early, it means that the news is very good or very bad.

This means that if the new intervention is harmful and pointless, or very good, not providing it is unethical.

For example, earlier this year (February), one of the largest HIV vaccine trials was discontinued, with a trial of HVTN 702 (Uhambo) on an vaccine showing a vaccine equivalent to placebo. HIV prevalence between those receiving the vaccine and those receiving the placebo.

In the case of CAB, scientists acknowledged the early termination of the HPTN 083 study as good news that could fundamentally change the nature of HIV PrEP and HIV prevention. In this study, in a large and carefully designed study, bimonthly injections of cabotegravir block 10/7 (69%) more HIV infections than the latest PrEP HIV infection ever. It was. A tablet dose formerly known as Truvada.

A strategy for non-infected patients taking drugs to prevent HIV, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), has incorporated oral PrEP into antiretroviral therapy (ART) guidelines for people at high risk of HIV. We received the blessing of the Ministry of Health of Kenya in 2016. infection.

In 2017, the Ministry of Health published the PrEP Implementation Framework and has since rolled out PrEP across the public health sector.

PrEP was introduced to introduce new drugs to protect people who are HIV-negative who are at high risk of getting the virus before they are available to others.

“It’s really exciting.” Although not involved in NIAID trials, Seattle Washington University epidemiologist Jared Baeten conducted a groundbreaking PrEP study of anti-HIV drugs (one of them Truvada) in Kenya and Uganda, Science. I told Magazine. ..

“It offers another option for people who can’t or don’t want to take their daily pills.”

In a new study named HPTN083, Truvada was tested against intramuscular injections of drugs and placebo in men and men who had sex with transgender women.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) -sponsored trial began in December 2016 and enrolled more than 4,500 participants worldwide. These participants were randomly assigned to tolvada, cabotegravir, placebo tablets, or placebo injection.

At a statistical level, studies that have not yet been published in peer-reviewed journals or presented to HIV researchers at conferences have not demonstrated a superiority of Cabotegravir to Truvada, but the data clearly show that. Showed that it worked as well.

Baeten said that the choice could lead more people to try PrEP.

“IAVI praises all dedicated study participants, sponsors, clinicians, staff, researchers, and scientists by encouraging HPTN 083 results and looks forward to HPTN 084 data,” he said. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) said in a tweet.

Kenya is one of seven African countries chosen to conduct large-scale trials similar to HPTN 083. However, the HPTN 084 trial is primarily focused on demonstrating whether Cabotegravir (CAB) jab can prevent HIV infection in uninfected women.

In addition to Kenya, 2017 began clinical trials in Uganda, Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland, South Africa and Zimbabwe in 3,200 HIV-free, sexually active women. It was

Expected to end next year, HPTN 084 is an HIV-prevention injection for sexually active women aged 18 to 45 years, with the aim of examining the safety and efficacy of injectables compared to daily oral dosing. The first large clinical trial of the drug is PrEP tablets. Studies for four and a half years are still ongoing.