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GSK’s ViiV Healthcare kicks off enrolment of big phase III HIV trial in Africa

Published: 09:41 30 Nov 2017 GMT

african mother consulting with doctor
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding part of the study

UK drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline plc (LON:GSK) has kicked off a huge phase III study in Africa which will look at the effectiveness of a long-acting injectable HIV drug in sexually active women.

ViiV Healthcare – GSK’s HIV division – said it is in the process of enrolling 3,200 women from sub-Saharan countries aged between 18 and 45 to take part in the trial.

READ: ViiV starts phase III HIV combination drug study

Once enrolment has been completed, the patients will be given an injection of cabotegravir once every two months.

Currently, HIV suffers have to take a cocktail of drugs every day to keep the virus at bay but GSK, along with others, have been working on new treatments that contain fewer drugs and can be taken less frequently.

Only last week, the company’s Juluca two-drug, one-pill treatment was given the green light by the US Food and Drug Administration.

READ: GSK's two drug, one pill HIV treatment approved by FDA

“In sub-Saharan Africa, women account for more than half of all new HIV infections in adults and there is clearly a public health need for prevention strategies that empower women to protect themselves from HIV,” said ViiV’s chief medical officer John Pottage.

“ViiV Healthcare is committed to the inclusion of women in our efforts to develop innovative therapeutic options for the treatment and prevention of HIV and this study start is an important step in that direction.”

This time last year ViiV announced the start of a large complementary study on HIV-uninfected men and transgender women who have sex with men to test an experimental long-acting injection for preventing the virus that causes AIDS.

GSK shares fell 0.7% to £12.98 on Thursday morning.

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