Monthly injections for HIV patients moves a step closer

UHIV patients taking a cocktail of pills each day to manage the disease may soon be able to switch to a monthly injection following successful trials.

Currently most people infected with HIV take a combination of three or more tablets per day to prevent the virus replicating and triggering Aids.

But in final-stage trials, an injection of just two anti-retroviral drugs – cabotegravir and rilpivirine – was found to be as effective as the standard treatment.

At present it has to be administered by a nurse or doctor, but researchers are hoping that future versions could be self-injected.

Dr John Pottage, chief scientific and medical officer at Viiv Healthcare, the pharmaceutical company running the trial, said: “This novel approach is another step towards potentially reducing the treatment burden for people living with HIV.

“If approved, this regimen would mean one month between each dose of anti-retroviral therapy, changing treatment from 365 days per year to just 12.”

The trial is the final testing hurdle before a company can apply for a new drug to be licensed.

A single monthly injection could also encourage more people to keep up with their medication, helping to reduce the spread of HIV.