FDA approved CABENUVA (cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension; rilpivirine extended-release injectable suspension), co-packaged for intramuscular use. This is the first FDA-approved injectable, complete regimen for HIV-1 infected adults that is administered once a month.
FDA also approved VOCABRIA (cabotegravir) 30 mg tablets which should be taken in combination with oral rilpivirine (EDURANT) for one month prior to starting treatment with Cabenuva to ensure the medications are well-tolerated before switching to the extended-release injectable formulation.
Additionally, changes to the EDURANT (rilpivirine) tablet label was revised to reflect the oral lead-in recommendations for use with VOCABRIA.
VOCABRIA is a human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) indicated in combination with EDURANT (rilpivirine) for short-term treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies/mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine, for use as:
oral lead-in to assess the tolerability of cabotegravir prior to administration of CABENUVA (cabotegravir; rilpivirine) extended-release injectable suspensions
oral therapy for patients who will miss planned injection dosing with CABENUVA.
CABENUVA, a 2-drug co-packaged product of cabotegravir, a human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), and rilpivirine, an HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults to replace the current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv/fda-approves-cabenuva-and-vocabria-treatment-hiv-1-infection
