About 3.2 million Nigerians undergoing treatment for HIV/AIDS may soon be taking monthly injections instead of the usual daily dose of antiretroviral medicines they take in order to keep the condition under control.
This new development was as a result of a landmark trial embarked upon by ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical firm.
The firm claimed the single dose of injection met its primary goal or suppressing the virus.
According to a MailOnline report, experts claimed replacing the daily regimen of three or more antiretroviral pill will improve compliance.
The third phase of the trial which took a whole year was the final hurdle before licensing. The trial involved HIV patients from 13 countries.
Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ViiV Healthcare, Dr. John Pottage revealed the jab could evolve into self-injection in the future.
He said: “This novel approach is another step towards potentially reducing the treatment burden for people living with HIV.’
The long-acting injection ‘may offer an alternative’ to daily pills for patients whose HIV is already suppressed.
If the jab was to be approved, HIV treatment would be changed ‘from 365 dosing days per year to just 12.”
ViiV Healthcare is developing the HIV jab in collaboration with Janssen Sciences Ireland, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of drug and consumer product companies.
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