GSK's ViiV says trial indicates HIV shot as effective as rival Gilead pill

UK pharma firm GSK's HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, said its HIV injection treatment was as effective as a daily pill made by Gilead Sciences.

The HIV division, which GSK owns with Pfizer and Shionogi, ran a "head to-head" clinical study on its own injection Cabenuva, which is given every two months, and Gilead's Biktarvy, an oral pill taken daily.

The 12-month clinical study involved 670 people living with HIV who prior to the study were virally suppressed and taking Biktarvy. Two thirds of those people were switched to the Cabenuva injection, while the others remained on the daily pill.

A primary goal of showing that Cabenuva was as effective as Biktarvy was met, while some 90% of the switchers said they preferred the long-acting regimen to the daily pill, ViiV said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Triallists said they liked not having to remember to take a pill every day and did not have to be reminded of their HIV status daily, ViiV said.

Harmony Garges chief medical officer at ViiV Healthcare, said: "The treatment needs of people living with HIV are changing, with ample evidence on patient preference suggesting some people living with HIV can experience challenges with taking daily oral treatment for HIV."

"It's essential that people living with HIV have treatment options that can help alleviate these burdens and we believe that complete long-acting regimens are here to help address some of those challenges today."

We are confident that cabotegravir, as part of a complete long-acting regimen, is a cornerstone for the long-acting treatment era in HIV medicine, as supported by its strong and durable efficacy, safety, and by the fact that 90% of participants in this study who completed a survey preferred a long-acting regimen after switching from their daily oral pills."

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com