JT
A real patient on APRETUDE.
JT: If I struggled to take my PrEP every day, I had to ask myself, is this really the best option to help protect me from HIV?
SUPER: PrEP=pre-exposure prophylaxis.
All participants compensated by ViiV Healthcare.
AVO: APRETUDE is for PrEP to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection for HIV-negative adults and adolescents who weigh at least 35 kg and are at risk of sexually acquiring HIV.
SUPER: INDICATION
APRETUDE is indicated in at-risk adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection. Individuals must have a negative HIV-1 test prior to initiating APRETUDE (with or without an oral lead-in with oral cabotegravir) for HIV-1 PrEP.
AVO: There is a Boxed Warning for APRETUDE, shown in full here, which describes a risk of drug resistance if APRETUDE is used in people with HIV. Don’t give APRETUDE or oral cabotegravir until the patient is confirmed to be HIV negative with a test that can diagnose acute or primary HIV. Any individual diagnosed with HIV must begin a complete HIV treatment.
SUPER: BOXED WARNING: RISK OF DRUG RESISTANCE WITH USE OF APRETUDE FOR HIV-1 PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PrEP) IN UNDIAGNOSED HIV-1 INFECTION Individuals must be tested for HIV-1 infection prior to initiating APRETUDE or oral cabotegravir, and with each subsequent injection of APRETUDE, using a test approved or cleared by the FDA for the diagnosis of acute or primary HIV-1 infection. Drug-resistant HIV-1 variants have been identified with use of APRETUDE by individuals with undiagnosed HIV-1 infection. Do not initiate APRETUDE for HIV-1 PrEP unless negative infection status is confirmed. Individuals who become infected with HIV-1 while receiving APRETUDE for PrEP must transition to a complete HIV-1 treatment regimen.
AVO: Keep watching for the remaining select safety information.
SUPER: Keep watching for the remaining select safety information. Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, for APRETUDE on this website.
JT: I love music. And what I love about it, it has an opportunity to tell a story. And I just love that it has that way to bring us together.
SUPER: JT
On APRETUDE
JT: But relationships, you know, I look at relationships differently. You know, I started having situations left and right that had me better wanting to protect myself against HIV. For me, it was in one of my personal relationships. You know, the person didn’t know their status. So that conversation was something different and new for me. We were young and in love and just doing everything together. So it was like, of course, why not go get tested together? And, you know, we started off that journey getting tested together, but then it started to dwindle down. I’m like, OK, I understand, life happens, but, you know, for me, I’m gonna keep my regimen of, you know, going to get tested, you know, just making sure I’m on the up-and-up.
JT: So I started my PrEP journey, and then as I continued to learn more about PrEP, it wasn’t how sexually active I am, but it’s more how proactive do you want to be in protecting yourself? It wasn’t just about PrEP. It was a holistic approach. It’s, you know, the condoms, it’s the consent, it’s the communication, it’s the testing. I did have a daily pill case, you know, the days of the week. But then, you know, my days look different. So sometimes I’d take it in the morning, sometimes I’d take it at night. My nights look different Monday through Thursday versus Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So I was like, OK, got to be adherent. You got to do this but it’s like wait.
JT: APRETUDE, you know, that’s a no-brainer, because now instead of taking a daily pill, I can go ahead and get a shot every 2 months versus taking something every day. And that was, that’s a bit challenging because life happens, you know?
SUPER: APRETUDE is administered as an intramuscular injection by a healthcare professional every 2 months after 2 initiation injections administered 1 month apart. Adherence to the dosing schedule is strongly recommended.
JT: With the shot, I don’t have to worry about that. I just have to make sure that I’m in my window and that’s what I love that they emphasize, you know, 7 days before or 7 days after, you’re able to make sure that you’re coming for your injection. So with APRETUDE I definitely look at it as a great opportunity to add to that safety belt and add to that safety net of protection against HIV.
SUPER: APRETUDE injections can be given up to 7 days before or after the scheduled injection date.
Dr Tims-Cook: My name is Zandraetta Tims-Cook, and I’m an infectious diseases physician based in Atlanta, Georgia.
SUPER: Dr Zandraetta Tims-Cook
Infectious Diseases Physician
Dr Tims-Cook: JT’s story strikes me as one who’s the prototype patient who epitomizes how to be proactive in one’s sexual health and sexual experiences, to not leave something as important as an HIV transmission to chance.
For a patient like JT who has a busy lifestyle, I would encourage providers to delve deeper into the lifestyle features of their patient, to take all of those features into consideration and make a joint plan.
We’re always encouraged as providers to look at each patient as an individual from their family history to their lifestyle to their profession, and tailor a therapy to that individual.
Dr Tims-Cook: So a daily oral tablet may not be the best fit for everyone. And so providers should be armed with knowledge and the ability to educate their patients on these options. For patients who have a demanding lifestyle that requires distant travel or long periods away from home, having a dosing option that isn’t daily, but that can allow them to schedule their dosing and their visits and also have their other health issues addressed at the same time, has been invaluable for them.
SUPER: Adherence to the every-2-month dosing schedule is strongly recommended.
SUPER: What could APRETUDE mean for your patients like JT?
AVO: APRETUDE is contraindicated in individuals with unknown or positive HIV status; with previous hypersensitivity reaction to cabotegravir; or with drugs where significant decreases in cabotegravir plasma concentrations may occur.
Use APRETUDE as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy.
There is a potential risk of resistance if an individual acquires HIV either before, while taking, or following discontinuation of APRETUDE. Test before each injection to confirm HIV-negative status. Reassess risk of HIV acquisition and test before each injection to confirm HIV-negative status.
SUPER:
CONTRAINDICATIONS
APRETUDE is contraindicated in individuals with unknown or positive HIV status; with previous
hypersensitivity reaction to cabotegravir; or with drugs where significant decreases in cabotegravir
plasma concentrations may occur.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
- Use APRETUDE as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy.
- There is a potential risk of resistance if an individual acquires HIV either before, while taking, or following discontinuation of APRETUDE. Test before each injection to confirm HIV-negative status. Reassess risk of HIV acquisition and test before each injection to confirm HIV-negative status.
AVO: Because APRETUDE is long-acting, residual concentrations of cabotegravir may remain in the systemic circulation up to 12 months or longer.
Hypersensitivity has been reported with other integrase inhibitors, and hepatotoxicity has been reported with cabotegravir. Discontinue immediately if signs or symptoms of either develop.
Depressive disorders have been reported. Prompt evaluation is recommended.
The most common adverse reactions, all grades, observed in at least 1 percent of patients, were injection site reactions, diarrhea, headache, pyrexia, fatigue, sleep disorders, nausea, dizziness, flatulence, abdominal pain, vomiting, myalgia, rash, decreased appetite, somnolence, back pain, and upper respiratory tract infection.
SUPER:
- Because APRETUDE is long-acting, residual concentrations of cabotegravir may remain in the systemic circulation up to 12 months or longer.
- Hypersensitivity has been reported with other integrase inhibitors, and hepatotoxicity has been reported with cabotegravir. Discontinue immediately if signs or symptoms of either develop.
- Depressive disorders have been reported. Prompt evaluation is recommended.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most common adverse reactions, all grades, observed in at least 1 percent of patients, were injection site reactions, diarrhea, headache, pyrexia, fatigue, sleep disorders, nausea, dizziness, flatulence, abdominal pain, vomiting, myalgia, rash, decreased appetite, somnolence, back pain, and upper respiratory tract infection.
AVO: Refer to the full PI for important drug interactions with APRETUDE. Drugs that induce UGT1A1 may significantly decrease plasma concentration.
If patient is breastfeeding an infant, assess the benefit-risk of using APRETUDE. APRETUDE is not recommended for use in pediatric individuals weighing less than 35 kilograms.
Please see the full Important Safety Information and Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, on this website.
SUPER:
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Refer to the full PI for important drug interactions with APRETUDE. Drugs that induce UGT1A1* may significantly decrease plasma concentration.
*uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
If patient is breastfeeding an infant, assess the benefit-risk of using APRETUDE. APRETUDE is not recommended for use in pediatric individuals weighing less than 35 kilograms.
Please see the full Important Safety Information and Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, on this website.
SUPER: APRETUDE logo
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CBTVID220031 March 2023
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