British drugmaker GSK said its long-acting injectable HIV therapy shows promise in maintaining suppressed viral load compared to daily oral treatment, especially in people who have difficulty taking the pill.
Interim analysis of a late-stage trial of the therapy known as Cabenuva demonstrated superior efficacy in maintaining viral load suppression compared to daily oral therapy in individuals with a history of adherence difficulties with oral antiretroviral treatment, which is used to suppress and mitigate the progression of the disease.
According to GSK, lack of consistent adhesion is a common reason why some HIV positive people They fight to keep the virus under control.
The drug is part of GSK’s ViiV Healthcare business, in which Pfizer and Shionogi have small stakes.
Strong sales of anti-HIV drugs, the virus that causes AIDS, were one of the drivers of the company’s results last year, with annual sales of 6.44 billion pounds ($8.13 billion).
It is a key element of chief executive Emma Walmsley’s campaign to boost investor confidence in the strength of GSK’s pipeline of medicines.
