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"Squeeze" the new approved treatment for HIV prevention
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, has been present in history since the 1980s. Since then, it has become one of the first public health problems worldwide.
Fortunately, with advances in technology and medicine, Apretude, a treatment to prevent contagion, has been developed and approved.
Current HIV situation: what the World Health Organization says
Previously, when breaking down more about the new treatment approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), it is important to emphasize the global panorama. To this end, the WHO (World Health Organization) establishes that:
1. In the latter part of 2020 alone, more than 37 million people carried the virus. Regarding this, on average between 480 thousand and 1 million infected died from complications related to the disease.
2. According to recent data from the WHO administration, over 45 million deaths have been recorded throughout history. Therefore, policies and efforts to contain contagions have not been efficient. On the contrary, HIV worldwide remains at the top of the main public health problems.
3. According to a recent report this year, HIV resistance to antiretroviral therapy has been highlighted. Consequently, certified treatments are constantly being modified to ensure the patient's quality of life.
On the other hand, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic fiercely limited access to therapy for this condition. But with the development, launch, and approval of Apretude, a new strategy looms to slow the spread of the virus.
The Facts About Apretude: What Is This Innovative New Treatment?
Generally speaking, Apretude is the trade name for the most recent FDA-approved treatment. Its development and production is in charge of ViiV Healthcare, the main international company recognized for its fight against HIV.
Structurally, it is Cabotegravir with an improved mechanism of action in which its long action prevails. Unlike other HIV treatments, it is administered intramuscularly in the gluteal area.
The reason for its certification lies in the preliminary studies carried out showing greater efficacy compared to oral tablets. As a result, prevention of contagion by the virus has increased exponentially.
Administration methodology
1. Its use is specified for adults and adolescents weighing more than 35 kg with predisposing risk factors. That is, individuals with a high percentage of contracting the infection through careless sexual contact.
2. The dose and presentation of Apretude corresponds to a 600 mg intramuscular injectable solution in 3 ml. To accommodate its administration, a single first injection is required in the dosage described. This step runs for two months with a one-month difference between the two.
3. Subsequently, the average administration is every 60 days with an average of 6 times a year in total. Combined with oral Cabotegravir tablets, it mostly increases protection.
Possible adverse reactions
Like all medicines, there is a risk of experiencing temporary adverse reactions in the body. Apretude unleashed in just 1% of the population sample, a series of counterproductive effects categorized according to their frequency:
1. Gastrointestinal manifestations such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pyrexia and flatulence.
2. Local manifestations at the injection site such as self-limited hypersensitivity allergic reactions.
3. General manifestations such as drowsiness, insomnia, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, as well as loss of appetite.
However, they were specific cases where these symptoms were evident, and they could be resolved in less than 72 hours. Thanks to that conclusion, the strong evidence for approval of the HIV injection was also strengthened.
A better future thanks to Apretude
HIV is the main precursor to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), known as the end stage of the disease. It is the primary cause of complications and deaths in those infected patients who have not responded satisfactorily to treatment; or that, failing that, they have not known how to take care of themselves.
Today, Apretude opens the doors to the goal of reducing the spread of this epidemic. At the same time, it is an important step for humanity to discover other effective therapeutic methods against HIV.
Basically, it is an alternative that will serve as a standard in the fight against infection as such.
