Once-weekly HIV pill as effective as daily dose, research shows

The Conversation is reporting on research showing that a once-weekly HIV pill is just as effective as the standard daily treatment. In a global trial of six hundred seven participants across eleven countries, the weekly pill was ninety-three percent effective, compared to ninety-two percent for daily pills, with comparable side effects—most commonly headache and nausea. The medication combines two compounds, lenacapavir and islatravir, that block HIV at different stages of the virus's life cycle. The double-blind study found that no one developed resistance to either drug. Weekly medications have been shown to improve adherence rates for other chronic conditions, and researchers suggest this pill could help people living with HIV better stick with their treatment. The medication is now in its final testing phase before regulatory approval, and could give people living with HIV more choice in how they manage their treatment.

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