GlaxoSmithKline have announced the results of a three year investigation into a long acting, injectable, two-drug HIV regimen at the HIV Glasgow Drug Therapy meeting in Scotland.

The phase IIb LATTE-2 study found that the two drug combo, administered either every four or eight weeks, demonstrated high rates of virologic response, long-term durability of virologic response and good overall tolerability.

John C. Pottage, Jr., MD, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, ViiV Healthcare, said, "Our two-drug regimen research efforts explore a number of treatment options that look beyond viral load and focus on addressing the unresolved issues that many people living with HIV face. The LATTE-2, three-year data show cabotegravir and rilpivirine as a long-acting injectable regimen may provide an alternative to daily pills, reducing the number of annual doses from 365 to 12. It is encouraging to see these long-term results."

At 160 weeks, 90% (104/115) and 83% (95/115) of the patients receiving the injectable regimen of cabotegravir and rilpivirine every eight and four weeks, respectively, remained virally suppressed.

Meanwhile, of those who switched from the oral comparator arm to the injectable regimen, 97% (33/34) and 100% (10/10) remained virally suppressed on every eight- and four-week dosing schedule, respectively.