MONTRÉAL, Feb. 13,
2025 /CNW/ - ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist
HIV company majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), with
Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi as shareholders, is pleased to announce it
has successfully completed negotiations with the pan-Canadian
Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) for APRETUDE (cabotegravir
tablets and extended release injectable suspension) for
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually
acquired HIV-1 infection in at-risk individuals who are HIV-1
negative.1
ViiV Healthcare is committed to ensuring timely public access
for APRETUDE to help reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1
infection and make progress towards global targets of ending HIV by
2030, which Canada
endorsed.2,3 ViiV Healthcare recognizes
the pCPA's efforts and shared commitment to achieving this goal.
This milestone underscores the need to expedite public
reimbursement and as such, ViiV Healthcare looks forward to working
with provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders
to make APRETUDE available through public drug plans.
APRETUDE is the first and only long-acting injectable approved
in Canada and is indicated for
at-risk adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older and weighing
at least 35 kg for PrEP to reduce the risk of sexually acquired
HIV-1 infection. APRETUDE for PrEP has demonstrated superior
efficacy to daily oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
(FTC/TDF tablets) in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition in two
clinical trials, giving Canadians more options for
PrEP.1
Tharani Napper, Government
Affairs & Market Access Director, ViiV Healthcare Canada:
"APRETUDE represents a new prevention tool to help combat HIV in
Canada. We are excited to work
with regional governments and stakeholders to secure reimbursement
in every province and territory, ensuring that people who could
benefit from PrEP across Canada
have access to APRETUDE."
Michael Kwag, Executive
Director, Community Based Research Centre (CBRC): "With
this announcement, people and communities at risk or affected by
HIV will soon have more opportunities to choose the prevention
option that is right for them. This marks a significant advancement
in our mission to address HIV in Canada, especially in light of the rising
number of cases in recent years. I commend the ongoing efforts of
ViiV and the pCPA to strengthen HIV prevention in Canada by making APRETUDE accessible
through public reimbursement."
About APRETUDE
APRETUDE (Cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension)
is the first and only long-acting injectable pre-exposure
prophylaxis (PrEP) option proven superior to daily oral FTC/TDF in
reducing HIV acquisition. Cabotegravir is an integrase strand
transfer inhibitor (INSTI). INSTIs, like cabotegravir
extended-release injectable suspension, inhibit HIV replication by
preventing the viral DNA from integrating into the genetic material
of human immune cells (T-cells). This step is essential in the HIV
replication cycle and is also responsible for establishing chronic
disease.1
Please consult the Product Monograph for complete safety
information. The Product Monograph is also available by calling
1-877-393-8448.
About HIV
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the
body's immune system.4 HIV is spread by contact with
certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during
unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or
treat HIV), or through sharing injected drug
equipment.5
If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency virus). AIDS is the most severe stage of HIV
(Stage 3).6 There is currently no cure for HIV, but
with proper treatment and care, people with HIV can maintain a high
quality of life and avoid passing HIV to others.
In 2023, there were 2,434 new HIV diagnoses, a 35 per cent
increase in new cases from the previous year.7 In
2022, there were an estimated 65,270 people living with HIV in
Canada, and 129 deaths attributed
to HIV.8,9
About ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established
in November 2009 by GSK (LSE: GSK)
and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in
treatment and care for people living with HIV and for people who
are at risk of acquiring HIV. Shionogi became a ViiV shareholder in
October 2012. The company's aims are
to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV and AIDS than any
company has done before and take a new approach to deliver
effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and
prevention, as well as support communities affected by HIV.
For more information on the company, its management, portfolio,
pipeline, and commitment, please visit
www.viivhealthcare.ca.
1 APRETUDE Product Monograph (2024). ViiV. Available
at: www.viivhealthcare.ca
2 World Health Organization. Research & development for
HIV/AIDS. Available at:
https://www.who.int/observatories/global-observatory-on-health-research-and-development/analyses-and-syntheses/hiv-aids/global-strategic-direction#:~:text=The%20international%20community%20has%20committed,established%20for%202020%20and%202025.
Accessed January 13, 2025.
3 Public Health Agency of Canada. Reducing the health impact of sexually
transmitted and blood-borne infections in Canada by 2030: A pan-Canadian STBBI
framework for action. Available at: Reducing the health impact of
sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in Canada by 2030: A pan-Canadian STBBI framework
for action - Canada.ca
4 CDC. About HIV. Available
at: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/#:~:text=people%20who%20take%20HIV%20treatment%20as%20prescribed%20may%20never%20move%20into%20Stage%203%20(AIDS).
5 HIV.gov. What Are HIV and AIDS? Available at:
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids.
6 CDC. About HIV. Available at:
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/#:~:text=people%20who%20take%20HIV%20treatment%20as%20prescribed%20may%20never%20move%20into%20Stage%203%20(AIDS).
7 Public Health Agency of Canada. HIV in Canada: HIV in Canada: 2023 surveillance highlights.
Available at:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/hiv-2023-surveillance-highlights-infographic.html
8 Public Health Agency of Canada. Canada's progress towards ending the HIV
epidemic. Available
at: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/canada-progress-towards-ending-hiv-epidemic.html
9 Public Health Agency of Canada. HIV in Canada, Surveillance Report to December 31, 2022. Available at: HIV in
Canada, Surveillance Report to
December 31, 2022 - Canada.ca
SOURCE ViiV Healthcare
