ViiV Healthcare announces positive data demonstrating long-acting injectable Cabenuva (cabotegravir, rilpivirine) is as effective as daily oral Biktarvy (BIC/FTC/TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1
· 12-month findings from the SOLAR study showed that the every-two-month regimen of CAB+RPV LA demonstrated non-inferior efficacy compared to continuation of daily oral BIC/FTC/TAF
· 90% of participants who switched from BIC/FTC/TAF to CAB+RPV LA preferred the complete long-acting regimen to daily pills
London, 23 February 2023 – ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GSK, with Pfizer and Shionogi as shareholders, announced yesterday positive 12-month findings from the SOLAR study. SOLAR is the first head-to-head, Phase IIIb study of the first and only complete long-acting injectable regimen Cabenuva (cabotegravir, rilpivirine [CAB+RPV LA]) compared against complete daily oral regimen Biktarvy (bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide [BIC/FTC/TAF]).
Study findings showed that CAB+RPV LA dosed every two months achieved the primary endpoint of non-inferior virologic efficacy versus daily oral BIC/FTC/TAF, while 90% of participants who switched to CAB+RPV LA from BIC/FTC/TAF, and who completed a survey (n=425), preferred the long-acting regimen. Switching to CAB+RPV LA from BIC/FTC/TAF during the SOLAR study was efficacious, well-tolerated, and improved treatment satisfaction from baseline based on adjusted HIV Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version scores (HIVTSQs). These data were presented at the 30thConference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), being held in Seattle, Washington.
Harmony P. Garges, M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer at ViiV Healthcare, said: “The treatment needs of people living with HIV are changing, with ample evidence on patient preference suggesting some people living with HIV can experience challenges with taking daily oral treatment for HIV. It’s essential that people living with HIV have treatment options that can help alleviate these burdens and we believe that complete long-acting regimens are here to help address some of those challenges today. We are confident that cabotegravir, as part of a complete long-acting regimen, is a cornerstone for the long-acting treatment era in HIV medicine, as supported by its strong and durable efficacy, safety, and by the fact that 90% of participants in this study who completed a survey preferred a long-acting regimen after switching from their daily oral pills.”