icon-folder.gif   Conference Reports for NATAP  
 
  17th European AIDS Conference
November 6-9
2019, Basel
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Will HIV-infected patients Taking Oral ARV Switch to
Long-Acting Injectable ART when It Becomes Available?

 
 
  17th European AIDS Conference, November 6-9, 2019, Basel
Reported by Jules Levin
 
Marie-Aude Khuong-Josses, Marie Buson, Camille Charpentier, Marie Poupard CHG - Hôpital Delafontaine, Saint Denis Cedex, France

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In this study, despite the fact that 46% of patients received STR, a significant majority of participants expressed willingness to use LAI even once a month, 64% in case of injections once a month and 76% in case of injections once every two months.
 
It is difficult to define appropriate patients and populations for LAI- ART. In this study, some patients evoke a feeling of healing that possibly may impact treatment adherence. Even if providers have to listen the strong willingness of their patients to received LAI-ART, the observance of this delivery method will have to be carefully monitored.

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• At the time of the survey, two years ago, only 42% of patients had heard of LAI-ARV,
 
• Over 64% of participants stated that they would be willing to use LAI-ART in case of injections once a month and 76% in case of injections once every two months.
 
• None of the variables studied, sex, country of origin, duration of HIV infection, duration of ART, receiving STR, was associated with preference for the injectable route.
 
There were statistically significant differences between patients < 55 and > 55 years-old. Patients under 55 years of age prefer injections, once a month or once every two months.

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To the question about "feeling of stay without daily oral therapy" (n=120 responders), many patients talked about joy, happiness, pleasure (27/120), relief (21/120), and weird feeling (14/120) because they are used to take their drugs for a long time. Moreover, 23 patients talked about "feeling not being sick", "forget the disease", "forget being sick", "as if I am as everybody", "as if I have nothing". Twelve patients more talked about healing. These feelings are already been reported in PLHIV participating in a Phase II study of cabotegravir + rilpivirine (Ref)
 
Ref Deanna Kerrigan PLoS One. 2018 Jan 5;13(1)