GSK hails HIV jab that removes need for pills

GSK’S long-lasting HIV jab has been hailed as a success after trial results showed the injection worked better than daily pills for some patients.

An interim review of the Cabenuva treatment revealed the jab is better at suppressing HIV for patients who struggle to take a pill every day.

This could include patients who do not have stable insurance policies or those who worry that taking pills could disclose their condition.

The NHS said people diagnosed with HIV typically take between one and four pills a day. However, the Cabenuva treatment works through two-monthly injections and helps make the level of HIV in the blood undetectable, which significantly reduces the risk of transmitting the infection through sex. It is available in the UK on the NHS.

Dr Kimberly Smith, the head of research and development at Gsk-controlled Viiv Healthcare, said: “The interim data indicating the superiority of long-acting therapy compared to daily oral therapy in individuals who have difficulty taking pills for HIV every day is a remarkable outcome.

“Optimising therapy for all people living with HIV, including those with adherence challenges, is critical to the effort to end the HIV epidemic.” It comes as GSK pushes ahead with plans to bolster its long-acting HIV drug portfolio. It expects around 40pc of its HIV business to come from long-acting therapies within the next four or five years.

Viiv Healthcare, in which Pfizer also has a minority stake, is working on making it possible to inject treatments at home so patients do not have to visit clinics every month. It said last year it was planning to start trials for a selfadministered injection in 2026.

It is also working on a potential cure for HIV that will wake up the virus in immune cells and then target them. In the UK, 105,000 people live with HIV.