HOUSTON — Barriers to maintaining viral suppression remain a challenge to ending the HIV epidemic. Among those are medication adherence.
A review in Current HIV/AIDS Reports pointed out that safe and effective oral combination antiretroviral therapy is available, but not always used correctly.
“Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy was developed as an alternative to daily oral therapy,” according to the Baylor College of Medicine-led authors. “This review summarizes the current literature on the efficacy of long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine for the treatment of HIV-1, reasons to switch to injectable therapy, and barriers to switching.”
The Tulane University School of Medicine and the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS), both in New Orleans, as well as the Michael E. DeBakey VAMC in Houston, also participated in the study.
“Long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine is safe and effective in maintaining HIV-1 virologic suppression,” the authors advised. “Ideal candidates for switching to long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine are virologically suppressed on oral regimens with good adherence and no history of virologic failure or baseline resistance. Indications to switch to injectable therapy include patient preference, the potential for improved adherence, and avoidance of adverse effects.”
They added, however, that implementation research is needed to assess and overcome system barriers, pointing out, “Long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine is a novel alternative to oral antiretrovirals, with the potential to improve adherence and quality of life in people with HIV.”
- Goebel MC, Guajardo E, Giordano TP, Patel SM. The New Era of Long-Acting Antiretroviral Therapy: When and Why to Make the Switch. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2023 Oct;20(5):271-285. doi: 10.1007/s11904-023-00665-x. Epub 2023 Sep 21. PMID: 37733184.
