Europe approves first complete long-acting injectable HIV treatment

HIV specialist company ViiV Healthcare, which is majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK), today announced the authorization of Vocabria (cabotegravir injection and tablets) in combination with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen’s Rekambys (rilpivirine injection) and Edurant (rilpivirine tablets), in the European Union, for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who are virologically suppressed.

Cabotegravir injection is indicated, in combination with rilpivirine injection, for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen without present or past evidence of viral resistance to, and no prior virological failure with agents of the NNRTI and INI class.

This authorization, which comes after a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency’s advisory panel in October, represents the first time people living with HIV in Europe may be able to receive a long-acting injectable treatment that removes the need to take daily oral tablets, following the oral initiation phase.