ID Care physician co-authored the work indicating patients can take a once-weekly oral regimen to improve treatment adherence for the 30 million in HIV therapy

HILLSBOROUGH, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, March 6, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a significant breakthrough, Dr. Ronald G. Nahass of ID Care, other investigators from across the country, and Gilead Science’s antiviral research and development program have unveiled promising results from a study comparing a once-weekly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) oral regimen schedule to the standard daily approach. The findings, presented at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) today, March 6, 2024, mark a potential paradigm shift in HIV treatment for the 29.8 million people in antiretroviral therapy globally.

"The once-weekly oral regimen offers the potential to simplify HIV care and address challenges related to daily medication adherence and pill-fatigue," says Nahass, president of ID Care and co-author of the study.

In the United States an estimated 32,100 new HIV infections occurred in 2021. Though the rate of infection has since plateaued, about 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Treatment regimen for those with HIV should be lifetime, but it’s estimated that 32% of patients discontinue treatment within the first three years.

The study Nahaas co-authored titled, "Efficacy and Safety of Weekly Islatravir Plus Lenacapavir in PWH at 24 Weeks: A Phase II Study," compares the effectiveness and safety of a once-weekly oral regimen of Islatravir (ISL) and Lenacapavir (LEN) to the standard daily regimen of Biktarvy. Notably, the once-weekly treatment has shown equivalent effectiveness to the daily treatment over the initial 24-week period.

Islatravir and Lenacapavir are antiviral medications that inhibit the HIV virus at different points in its lifecycle. Both are potent drugs which, when combined, have a dramatic ability to inhibit the virus. Because both drugs have a long half-life they can be given as a once-weekly dose making the combination of these medications a very attractive treatment option.

Key findings from the study include:

• With the once-weekly regimen, at week 24 most participants maintained virologic suppression, meaning less HIV in the body, allowing for better immune system function.
• The once-weekly treatment was well-tolerated, with no serious medication-related adverse events reported.
• Once weekly Islatravir did not decrease the CD4+ T-cell count (this helps coordinate the immune response against infection and disease), which was a concern from earlier studies. Additional testing will take place to address this.

The study is ongoing and researchers anticipate presenting additional, longer-term data in the future. These findings hold promise for simplifying HIV treatment and improving outcomes for individuals with the virus. The full study can be found on the CROI website.

About ID Care
ID Care’s nationally recognized team comprises the largest network of board-certified, fellowship-trained infectious disease specialists on the East Coast and the second largest in the United States. With a focus on providing superior, high-quality care and safe outcomes, our 10 convenient locations offer patients access to a broad array of personalized treatment options for infectious diseases, wound care, infusion and travel care. Our specialists are on staff at over 135 hospitals and healthcare facilities in New Jersey to improve patient care. We also provide access to the latest clinical trials and research in the field of infectious disease. For more information about ID Care, New Jersey’s infectious disease specialists, visit www.idcare.com

Mallory MacFarlane
Vanguard Communications
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