Hanoi (VNA)ဣ – Vietnam is promoting policy advocacy, collecting comments on research results from stakeholders, discussing orientations, and making recommendations on the use of new long-acting antiretroviral in HIV prevention and treatment.

Associate Professor Phan Thi Thu Huong, Director-General of the Vietnam Authority for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health, emphasised so at the dissemination workshop of the study " Feasibility and acceptability of novel long-acting antiretroviral for treatment and prevention of HIV in Vietnam” organised by VAAC, the US CDC, and the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) on June 6. Information presented at the workshop showed that in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), two new drugs are available in the world including long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) and an effective dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR). For HIV treatment, a long-acting injectable drug containing cabotegravir plus rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) is available in some countries as an alternative to oral antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Many large clinical trials around the world have proven the effectiveness of these drugs. CAB-LA and DPV-VR are recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for PrEP with a person-centered strategy. Huong said that now is the perfect time for people living with HIV in Vietnam to have more opportunities to choose new drugs with more convenience. Long-acting injectable ARVs are an ARV regimen for HIV that is given once a month or every two months instead of daily oral medication. “This is a very convenient treatment regimen for patients. New medications can help improve the adherence of some users, improving the quality of life for people who are tired of taking their pills every day. In addition, patients on injectable ART can be less afraid of unknowingly disclosing their HIV status and thus facing social stigma,” she said. Huong said long-acting antiretroviral drugs, which are the latest innovations in HIV treatment and prevention, will be an opportunity for 200,000 ARV patients in Vietnam to have a new alternative treatment option. Minesh Shah, Chief Medical Advisor, US CDC Office in Vietnam, cited the rigorous cooperation between the US CDC and the VAAC, implementation partners, and provincial Centers for Disease Control, health facilities and community organisations in providing high-quality HIV prevention and treatment programmes. Partners work to help Vietnam control the HIV epidemic by expanding HIV services to at-risk target groups, advocating for new initiatives in HIV prevention and treatment, and new strategies to promote equity in health. Recent large-scale international trials have found that long-acting injectable ARVs can be highly effective when used for both pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV treatment. To keep up to date with these scientific advances, the WHO, CDC in the US, Europe, and several other countries have included some of these new options in their most recent HIV guidelines. Todd Pollack, Medical Director of HAIVN, said that long-acting antiretroviral drugs have an important effect on helping users overcome difficulties when they have to take medicine every day. Recognising the need for domestic data to better understand the role of long-acting ARVs in Vietnam, HAIVN and the US CDC and VAAC conducted a study on the properties of long-acting ARVs feasibility and acceptability of new drugs. The 2022 study was carried out in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong province. It included 506 HIV-infected adults on ART and 495 representatives of HIV-negative high-risk groups, half of whom (222) are currently using PrEP for HIV prevention. The main results of the study showed that 96% of people with HIV would definitely or probably use long-acting injectable ARVs if available and 85% would prefer injectable drugs over oral ARVs if given the option; 92% of the MSM group and transgender women would definitely or likely use long-acting injectable PrEP if available, and 81% would prefer injectables over oral PrEP if given the choice. The first long-acting injectable ART regimen was recently approved for use in several countries, including the US, but is not currently approved for use or available in Vietnam. Therefore, Todd believes that the results of the study will assist Vietnam in designing policies and service delivery options for effective long-acting ARVs as a complementary approach to HIV control./.