Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was first discovered in the 1980s. At the time of its discovery, the virus was notorious for causing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which was often considered a death sentence. Since then, various treatments have been developed, and today, the life expectancy of people living with HIV is comparable to that of the general population.
The paradigm of HIV treatment has evolved each time a new therapy emerged that addressed unmet patient needs. Initially, treatment involved a cocktail approach, combining multiple antiviral drugs. In the past, patients often had to take dozens of pills daily.
HIV treatment advanced significantly with the introduction of single-pill regimens, greatly improving medication adherence. However, the need for daily medication from the initial diagnosis remained a burden for patients. In response, global pharmaceutical company GSK developed the long-acting injectable HIV treatment regimen Vocabria + Rekambys to improve patients’ quality of life.
According to GSK’s clinical trials, 29% of 2,389 HIV-positive participants reported missing doses within the past 30 days. The main reasons included feelings of depression or pressure associated with taking the medication, a desire to forget their HIV status, and interference from daily routines.
Similar findings were observed in South Korea. Love4One, an organization for people living with HIV, conducted a 2024 survey to assess perceptions of HIV treatments among 164 individuals.
According to the results, many respondents reported real-life challenges in adhering to treatment. In the multiple-response survey, 73% said that fear of being seen or having their HIV status exposed was a major concern. Additionally, 51% said that taking medication daily reminded them of their condition, causing depression or emotional discomfort.
The Vocabria + Rekambys combination therapy is a long-acting injectable HIV treatment developed to address these unmet needs. It dramatically improves medication adherence by reducing daily pill-taking to just six injections per year.
The regimen begins with monthly injections for two months, followed by maintenance doses every two months. By increasing the interval between treatments, the therapy helps reduce anxiety about status disclosure and social stigma while also addressing the inconveniences of oral regimens.
Despite its improved convenience, the Vocabria + Rekambys combination maintains efficacy similar to existing three-drug oral regimens while significantly reducing treatment burden. In a head-to-head clinical trial known as SOLAR, the injectable regimen was shown to be non-inferior, with a similar safety profile. Reported injection-site reactions were mostly mild.
Interestingly, even patients who were highly satisfied with their oral treatments reported greater satisfaction after switching to the Vocabria + Rekambys combination at 11 and 12 months post-switch than those continuing three-drug regimens.
More than 90% of those who experienced long-acting HIV injectables expressed a preference for the injections, citing benefits such as no longer needing to worry about taking medication daily (85%), convenience (83%), not being reminded of their HIV status every day (61%), and reduced fear of being exposed to others (59%).
Vocabria + Rekambys was approved by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2022. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently issued a draft notice amending the reimbursement criteria and coverage guidelines to newly include both drugs in the national health insurance benefits list. Starting April 1, people living with HIV in South Korea are expected to gain access to this treatment option.