HIV

Portrait for @ash
by @ash
2021-01-22T15:00:02+00:00
Science • Medicine
First long-acting injectable HIV drug combo approved by US FDA
Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 budding (in green) from cultured lymphocyte. This image has been colored to highlight important features; see PHIL 1197 for original black and white view of this image.
Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 budding (in green) from cultured lymphocyte. This image has been colored to highlight important features; see PHIL 1197 for original black and white view of this image. Credit: Photo Credit: C. GoldsmithContent Providers: CDC/ C. Goldsmith, P. Feorino, E. L. Palmer, W. R. McManus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved cabotegravir and rilpivirine injection – called Cabenuva – as a long-acting treatment for HIV-1 infections in adults. The new treatment is the first injectable treatment that has to be administered on a monthly basis, replacing daily pill medications to control the infection of the AIDS virus.

Portrait for @riegeros
by @riegeros
2020-11-17T08:00:02+00:00
Health
New drug for HIV prevention
New drug for HIV prevention
Credit: unsplash.com / National Cancer Institute

Worldwide 38 million people are infected with HIV and despite the long fight against the virus and education about it, there are still 1.7 million newly infected people every year. With drugs for HIV prevention, attempts are being made to reduce this number. In clinical studies, the new drug Cabotegravir has now proven to be particularly effective.

It only needs to be injected every eight weeks instead of having to be taken daily in pills as before. Especially for women, the drug is more effective than the previously available pill Truvada, but the new drug is also more effective for men and transwomen