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In HIV infection, chronic therapy The Use of
monthly (IM) injections of long-acting cabotegravir (HIV-1 integrase strand-transfer inhibitor) plus rilpivirine (nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor)
As Treatment, Chronic
Is equal Than
daily oral highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAAR), 3 drugs: dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine
To achieve viral suppression at 2 years: patients with HIV-1 RNA of less than 50 copies / mL: 94% monthly injections VS 93% oral therapy. Adverse effects of injectable Tt: pain at the injection site, liver toxicity
N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 4. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1909512. [Epub ahead of print] [Citation]
Long-Acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine after Oral Induction for HIV-1 Infection
Orkin C, Arasteh K, Hernández-Mora MG, Pokrovsky V, Overton ET, Girard PM, Oka S, Walmsley S, Bettacchi C, Brinson C, Philibert P, Lombaard J, St Clair M, Crauwels H, Ford SL, Patel P, Chounta V, D'Amico R, Vanveggel S, Dorey D, Cutrell A, Griffith S, Margolis DA, Williams PE, Parys W, Smith KY, Spreen WR
From Queen Mary University of London, London (C.O.), and ViiV Healthcare, Brentford (V.C.) - both in the United Kingdom; EPIMED, Berlin (K.A.); Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid (M.G.H.-M.); Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow (V.P.)
Randomized Controlled Trial, Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND: Long-acting injectable regimens may simplify therapy for patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.

METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, randomized, open-label trial in which adults with HIV-1 infection who had not previously received antiretroviral therapy were given 20 weeks of daily oral induction therapy with dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine. Participants who had an HIV-1 RNA level of less than 50 copies per milliliter after 16 weeks were randomly assigned (1:1) to continue the current oral therapy or switch to oral cabotegravir plus rilpivirine for 1 month followed by monthly injections of long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine. The primary end point was the percentage of participants who had an HIV-1 RNA level of 50 copies per milliliter or higher at week 48 (Food and Drug Administration snapshot algorithm).

RESULTS: At week 48, an HIV-1 RNA level of 50 copies per milliliter or higher was found in 6 of 283 participants (2.1%) who received long-acting therapy and in 7 of 283 (2.5%) who received oral therapy (adjusted difference, -0.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.8 to 2.1), a result that met the criterion for noninferiority for the primary end point (margin, 6 percentage points). An HIV-1 RNA level of less than 50 copies per milliliter at week 48 was found in 93.6% who received long-acting therapy and in 93.3% who received oral therapy (adjusted difference, 0.4 percentage points; 95% CI, -3.7 to 4.5), a result that met the criterion for noninferiority for this end point (margin, -10 percentage points). Of the participants who received long-acting therapy, 86% reported injection-site reactions (median duration, 3 days; mild or moderate severity, 99% of cases); 4 participants withdrew from the trial for injection-related reasons. Grade 3 or higher adverse events and events that met liver-related stopping criteria occurred in 11% and 2%, respectively, who received long-acting therapy and in 4% and 1% who received oral therapy. Treatment satisfaction increased after participants switched to long-acting therapy; 91% preferred long-acting therapy at week 48.

CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine was noninferior to oral therapy with dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine with regard to maintaining HIV-1 suppression. Injection-site reactions were common. (Funded by ViiV Healthcare and Janssen; FLAIR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02938520.).

Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.

Pubmed record:  PMID: 32130806
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