RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – A proposed treatment of HIV that could be administered once every two months rather that a one-month treatment has met the “primary endpoint” in a late-phase clinical trial, ViiV Healthcare announced Thursday.
It’s just as effective – “similar efficacy” i.e. “non-inferior” – ViiV said.
ViiV is majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline and operates a research and development center in RTP.
“We are excited to report that for the first time since the AIDS epidemic started more than 30 years ago, our ATLAS-2M [clinical trial] study has demonstrated that it is possible to maintain suppression of the HIV virus with an injectable regimen containing two drugs administered every two month,” said Kimberly Smith, head of Research & Development at ViiV Healthcare.
“This is further progress in our efforts to reduce the number of medicines a person living with HIV must take while also reducing the frequency of treatments. The ATLAS-2M study results mean that people living with HIV could maintain viral suppression with six total treatments per year, instead of a daily oral treatment 365 times per year. Approval of this regimen would mark a significant change in the HIV treatment paradigm.”
The treatment combines the drugs cabotegravir from ViiV and rilpivirine from Janssen, which is part of Johnson & Johnson.
The trial including testing of the treatment in adults living with HIV-1 infection “whose viral load is suppressed and who are not resistant to cabotegravir or rilpivirine,” ViV noted.
Chief medical officer at HIV-focused ViiV Healthcare is stepping down
