Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that attacks the immune system, which makes infected individuals more susceptible to various other dangerous diseases, including tuberculosis and cancer. HIV is a growing public health crisis, with an urgent need to find answers for the 40.8 million people currently living with HIV.
While no cure has been developed yet for HIV, certain drugs can induce “viral suppression,” which, as the name suggests, suppresses HIV to undetectable levels. Forms of HIV viral suppression include daily pills (the more common option) and long-acting injectable treatments. These medications prevent HIV levels from rising, which allows the immune system to fight back. The medications also have the important added bonus of reducing the risk of transmitting HIV to other people.
HIV treatments come in various forms, including injections.
Image Source: Catherine Falls Commercial
That said, some people with HIV struggle with maintaining the regimen of daily HIV pills. Luckily, injectable treatments last longer, so HIV patients would not need to adhere to such a strict regimen. However, these injectable treatments are only approved for HIV patients who already have their HIV levels under control using the daily pills, which may help improve HIV levels but defeats the purpose of helping individuals who cannot adhere to daily medications. Therefore, the question on scientists’ minds is whether injectable therapies are also effective for people with HIV who are not taking daily pills. A new study published in March 2025 suggests that the answer is yes!
The study observed HIV patients who either were or were not able to control their HIV levels with daily pills, and the researchers provided both groups of patients with monthly or bimonthly injection treatments. The results were very promising, as 97% of patients who had uncontrolled HIV levels and 99% of patients who had controlled HIV levels achieved viral suppression with the injections. This suggests that the regular injection treatments were able to control HIV levels in almost all patients, even without the daily pills that are typically prescribed.
Given the findings of this study, it is not out of the question to imagine that these injectable HIV treatments may be repurposed for individuals with daily medication adherence issues, rather than being an addition to those already taking pills. Many patients have struggled for a long time with the pills, so it comes as an immense relief to know that using injections alone may be effective as well.
The findings of this study were so promising that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the International Antiviral Society-USA have already updated their guidelines on prescribing pills and injections accordingly. Now, we will have to wait and see what results this will have in improving the current state of HIV treatment.
Featured Image Source: KMPZZZ
