A Once-Weekly Pill for HIV Treatment

Once-daily, single-tablet antiretroviral medications have simplified HIV treatment, but pill fatigue can lead to treatment lapses or discontinuation. In this industry-funded trial, researchers examined the effectiveness of a single pill administered weekly (Figure 1) in 600 participants whose HIV had been virally suppressed for at least 6 months while taking once-daily bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF). Participants were randomly assigned to continue that regimen or switch to once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir (ISL/LEN), a combination that is not yet FDA-approved. This report presents week 48 analysis of an ongoing 96-week trial.