Gilead Sciences has commended the leadership of the South African Government and the Global Fund for accelerating early access to its long-acting HIV prevention medication, lenacapavir.
Merck receives Idvynso FDA approval for its once-daily single-tablet regimen of doravirine and islatravir. This breakthrough treatment offers a new option for adults living with HIV-1 who are virologically suppressed.
Gilead has announced positive Phase 3 results for its investigational single-tablet regimen (STR) of bictegravir and lenacapavir (BIC/LEN) in the ARTISTRY-2 trial. The new combination met its primary endpoint, demonstrating non-inferiority to BIKTARVY in maintaining viral suppression in adults with HIV-1. This novel two-drug regimen combines the potent integrase inhibitor bictegravir with the first-in-class capsid inhibitor lenacapavir, representing a potential new, simplified treatment option for long-term HIV management.
A key takeaway from the presentation is the strong preference for the twice-yearly injection over daily oral medication among trial participants. Over 75% of those surveyed expressed a preference for the injectable option, citing increased confidence in their protection against HIV and a lower risk of missing a dose.
Gilead has paused dosing in its Phase 1b studies of GS-1720 and GS-4182—two promising long-acting HIV-1 therapies after identifying tolerability issues. No serious adverse events were reported, and the company is evaluating future development pathways.
The stepwise vaccination approach successfully activated and matured B cells toward producing broadly neutralizing antibodies, marking a major milestone in the pursuit of an effective HIV vaccine.
The findings support the increasing amount of data showing that N6LS is a strong antiviral that may be used as part of an all-encompassing antiretroviral treatment plan.
Islatravir, Merck’s investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI), inhibits HIV-1 replication through a variety of mechanisms
HIV-1, like other viruses, lacks the equipment to generate its own proteins and must rely on the host cell to translate its genetic instructions.
A twice-yearly injection of Lenacapavir, however, offers a 96% lower risk of infection overall.
