August 24, 2017 – IM Antiretrovirals

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Anchor lead: HIV medicines given by injection work, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Vigilant medication use is key when it comes to keeping HIV infection in check, and now a new formulation of of medicines used for this purpose that’s given as an injection – known as IM for intramuscular- has proven efficacious in a new study. Adriana Andrade, an HIV expert at Johns Hopkins, says there are people who would find such an injection helpful.

Andrade: There is a group of individuals who are HIV infected who struggle with the need to take, even if it’s one pill once a day for HIV care. When you’re treating HIV compliance has to be very high, because if it’s not the virus becomes resistant. With IM, these individuals will come to clinic to have medications injected every four weeks instead of having to take it every day, instead of having to carry medications with them every day, instead of having to call the pharmacy to get their medications often.  :30

Andrade notes that in limited resource settings such a strategy may also help. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.