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| Once-a-week pill for HIV | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Human trials of a once-a-week oral pill for HIV can start, after successful tests in pigs, say US scientists. | Human trials of a once-a-week oral pill for HIV can start, after successful tests in pigs, say US scientists. |
| The slow-release tablet could free patients from having to take daily medication, they say. | The slow-release tablet could free patients from having to take daily medication, they say. |
| It looks like a normal capsule, but on reaching the stomach its coating dissolves and a special structure packed inside unfolds. | It looks like a normal capsule, but on reaching the stomach its coating dissolves and a special structure packed inside unfolds. |
| This 4cm (1.5in) star-shaped scaffold stays in the stomach for seven days, steadily releasing its cargo of drugs. | This 4cm (1.5in) star-shaped scaffold stays in the stomach for seven days, steadily releasing its cargo of drugs. |
| The star is too large to move out of the stomach but still allows food to journey through to the small intestine. | The star is too large to move out of the stomach but still allows food to journey through to the small intestine. |
| Once it has delivered its payload, the star begins to degrade and passes on through the digestive tract. | Once it has delivered its payload, the star begins to degrade and passes on through the digestive tract. |
| In the pig trial, the researchers dosed it with enough of three antiretroviral drugs - dolutegravir, rilpivirine and cabotegravir - to last for seven days. | In the pig trial, the researchers dosed it with enough of three antiretroviral drugs - dolutegravir, rilpivirine and cabotegravir - to last for seven days. |
| The researchers say, in the future, the oral drug delivery device could be used for a wide range of diseases, not just HIV. | The researchers say, in the future, the oral drug delivery device could be used for a wide range of diseases, not just HIV. |
| Slow release | Slow release |
| Preliminary tests in pigs have already been done with a malaria drug called ivermectin and the star remaining in the stomach for up to two weeks. | Preliminary tests in pigs have already been done with a malaria drug called ivermectin and the star remaining in the stomach for up to two weeks. |
| Researcher Giovanni Traverso, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, said: "We wanted to come up with a system to make it easier for patients to stick to taking their treatments. | Researcher Giovanni Traverso, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, said: "We wanted to come up with a system to make it easier for patients to stick to taking their treatments. |
| "Changing a medication so it only needs to be taken once a week rather than once a day should be more convenient and improve compliance. | "Changing a medication so it only needs to be taken once a week rather than once a day should be more convenient and improve compliance. |
| "Once-a-month formulations might even be possible for some diseases." | "Once-a-month formulations might even be possible for some diseases." |
| A company called Lyndra is now developing the technology and plans human trials of the long-lasting oral delivery pills within the next 12 months. Tests with HIV medication could begin after that, subject to approval and more animal tests. | |
| Dr Traverso said: "There are lots of patients this could help, including people with dementia or mental health disorders such as schizophrenia." | Dr Traverso said: "There are lots of patients this could help, including people with dementia or mental health disorders such as schizophrenia." |
| Some slow-release drugs could already be given by injection, he said. | Some slow-release drugs could already be given by injection, he said. |
| A Terrence Higgins Trust representative said: "Medical advances have come on leaps and bounds for HIV in the UK in recent years, however we do know that taking a pill each day does present practical barriers for some people living with HIV. | A Terrence Higgins Trust representative said: "Medical advances have come on leaps and bounds for HIV in the UK in recent years, however we do know that taking a pill each day does present practical barriers for some people living with HIV. |
| "We welcome the prospect of a treatment that removes these barriers, and presents all people living with HIV with further choice, provided that it is no less effective than current options available." | "We welcome the prospect of a treatment that removes these barriers, and presents all people living with HIV with further choice, provided that it is no less effective than current options available." |
| The HIV research, published in the journal Nature Communications, was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. | The HIV research, published in the journal Nature Communications, was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. |