Impact of New Once-monthly, Long-acting HIV Regimen on Patient Care

Pharmacy Times^® interviewed Susan Swindells, MD, a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Director in the Specialty Care Clinic at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, on the impact of the recently FDA-approved once-monthly, long-acting HIV regimen cabotegravir and rilpivirine (Cabenuva, ViiV Healthcare) on how providers care for patients with the virus.

During the discussion, Swindells explained what the findings of the study investigating the treatment demonstrated, and how this new treatment is different from other FDA-approved HIV therapies.

Swindells explained that although the basic care for patients with HIV would remain the same, this new treatment has the potential to improve aspects of the logistics of the patient’s health care experience.

“These days, when patients are doing well on their oral therapy, we may only see them every 6 months. They come in, get a checkup and their lab work, refill, and off they go. So, if they have to come every month, that's going to make a big difference in terms of just clinic scheduling, staffing, [and] some of the logistics,” Swindells said. “Obviously, people wouldn't necessarily need to see a physician or a mid-level every month, but they would have to come to the clinic every month, which they're at the moment not necessarily used to doing. So that will be different for more practical [or] logistical [reasons] than anything else.”

The discussion also included what the adverse effects of the treatment were and how patients responded to them, Swindell’s plans for future research on HIV care and treatment, and her hopes for the future of HIV care.