Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences announced Wednesday that their investigational HIV medication in single-tablet form demonstrated strong patient tolerance with minimal dropout rates during clinical testing, potentially offering HIV patients a new treatment option once their viral levels are controlled.
The company shared comprehensive findings from an advanced clinical study at a Denver medical conference Wednesday, as they prepare to seek regulatory approval for the experimental drug combination.
Study data revealed that patients stopped taking the medication due to side effects at rates of just 1.6% and 0.5% across the two study groups, figures researchers considered notably low.
After 48 weeks of treatment in the same study, only 0.8% of participants taking the new single-pill combination showed detectable virus levels in their bloodstream, while 1.1% of those continuing their previous multiple-pill treatments had detectable viral loads.
Researchers tested the medication in HIV patients who already had suppressed viral levels, including individuals transitioning from complicated multiple-pill treatment plans or from currently recommended single-tablet therapies.
Study participants also indicated greater satisfaction with their treatment after making the switch to the investigational medication, based on findings published in The Lancet medical journal.
The pharmaceutical company stated they intend to provide data from both clinical trials to regulatory agencies for review. No regulatory body has yet granted approval for this drug combination.
