HIV drugs to be taken twice a year

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment is awaiting government approval on the new drug Sunlenca (Lenacapavir) being taken twice a year by people with multi-drug resistant HlV type one.

Director of Aids and Tuberculosis in the Ministry of Health and Child care, Dr Owen Mugurungi said such interventions were welcome as they aim to improve HIV treatment adherence.

He said, "We welcome such developments as they greatly improve adherence to treatment. You will find out that daily intake of ARVs or any other drug is associated with defaulting as pill fatigue grows for some people.

There are also some cases of people missing doses so the development of drugs that are taken few times will greatly improve adherence.

Mugurungi added that "attempts that have been made the development of medicines have proved that people were more likely to take their ARVs if the number of times they take was reduced as the case I'd Sunlenca which would be injected twice a year".

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the drug recently for people with HlV type one whose infections can not be successfully treated with other available treatments.

Sunlenca's starting dose is given as oral tablets and subcutaneous injections in every six months.