MHLW (Japan) approval for Vocabria in combination with Rekambys to treat HIV in Japan. ViiV HealthCare + Janssen Therapeutics
ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority-owned by GSK with Pfizer and Shionogi as shareholders, announced it obtained approval for Vocabria (cabotegravir injection and tablets) used in combination with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Rekambys (rilpivirine long-acting injectable suspension) and Edurant (rilpivirine tablets), the first and only complete long-acting treatment for HIV, from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan.
Cabotegravir injection used in combination with rilpivirine long-acting is indicated to treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults who are virologically suppressed, on a stable regimen with no history of treatment failure and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine.
Data from one of the most extensive global HIV patient-reported outcomes studies, Positive Perspectives 2 sponsored by ViiV Healthcare, reinforces the need for less frequent dosing for HIV treatments. When participants were asked about their treatment aspirations and attitudes towards innovative medications, 55% (n = 1,306/2,389) said they would prefer not having to take medication every day, if their HIV stays suppressed. In addition, 58% (n = 1,394/2,389) noted that taking daily HIV medication acts as a constant reminder of HIV in their lives. In comparison, up to 38% (n = 906/2,389) of participants reported anxiety around the fact that taking daily treatment could increase the chances of revealing their HIV status to others.
An estimated 30,000 people are living with HIV in Japan, and the prevalence continues to rise, with more than 1,000 new cases per yea.
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