Inject, not swallow - a new treatment for HIV?

Pharmaceutical companies are testing long-acting anti-retrovirals so that one day HIV positive individuals people won't have to take a pill every day.

This was discussed at HIV Research for Prevention Conference held in Cape Town this week.

GlaxoSmith Kline and Jansen have each developed a new anti-retroviral to be used as an injection once a month instead of daily anti-retrovirals.

The companies, while usually competitors, are working together to test the injections together. This is because current treatments of HIV require more than an ARV drug. Each drug stops the virus replicating and counteracts the different ways the virus may mutates to beat the drugs.  

Long-acting ARVs one day could help people adhere to treatment better as they wouldn't need to take a pill every day.

The injectables are also being tested to be used as prevention from HIV. Using specific ARVs once a day, while one is negative and engaging in risky behaviour, can protect against HIV.

But taking a pill a day to prevent getting HIV can be difficult when one is healthy.

An injection every three months may be easier form of prevention, said Mitchell Warren, director of AVAC, a global advocacy organisation. "It's another option."

He said pharmaceutical companies did not usually get on board when developing HIV prevention options, but as the injections were being tested for treatment and prevention there was a great deal of enthusiasm from the drug companies.

Injections as treatment are about five to seven years away, he said. But initial testing has shown the idea can work.