Once-a-Month HIV Treatment Approved for Use in Canada

For virally-suppressed HIV-positive people, Cabenuva could replace a daily pill.

A once-a-month injectible HIV regimen has been approved for use in Canada, ViiV Healthcare announced in a statement last week.

Health Canada ⁠— the nation’s health department ⁠— green-lit Cabenuva, the brand name for the first monthly regimen for HIV-positive people who are virally stable and suppressed. The medication is administered via injection.

Along with Cabenuva, ViiV announced the approval of Vocabria ⁠— a daily pill to be taken with Cabenuva for a short time.

“With CABENUVA, people living with HIV who are virologically suppressed now have an option to maintain that suppression with 12 treatments a year thereby positively impacting their lives,” ViiV CEO Deborah Waterhouse said in a statement.

ViiV describes Cabenuva as “a kit with two injectable medicines — ViiV Healthcare’s cabotegravir and Janssen’s rilpivirine.”