This archive report was first published on 2 December 2019.
On the heels of the annual World AIDS Day celebration in December, scientists have made a significant breakthrough in HIV/AIDS research with the development of a new injectable treatment that can be administered once a month to HIV/AIDS patients.
The injectable medicine has been submitted for approval after several clinical trials, marking a milestone in the fight against the disease.
According to historical records, HIV was declared a worldwide epidemic in the 1980s, prompting various groups to find solutions to the bulging number of infected persons. Initially, therapeutics were used to alleviate symptoms, but the virus grew resistant, killing more people.
However, the advent of antiretrovirals in the 1990s revolutionized HIV treatment, allowing for the suppression of viral replication and preventing the development of resistance.
Despite this progress, some patients found the early drugs difficult to tolerate, especially when multiple pills had to be taken several times a day. This led to a focus on improving the safety and tolerability of HIV drugs, resulting in the development of combination antiretrovirals in the form of a single tablet per day.
Now, scientists have developed a new injectable maintenance treatment that can be administered once a month, eliminating the problem of patients forgetting to take their pills daily.
According to the head scientist, the team investigated individual medications from within their portfolio and worked with other pharmaceutical companies researching HIV to develop a combination antiretrovirals.
