Zach
A real patient formerly on APRETUDE, which is not offered by his new doctor.
Zach: I think that it’s a missed opportunity if there is a primary care physician who does not offer APRETUDE.
SUPER: 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.
Zach: Hi, Zach. That’s my name. That’s me. Don’t wear it out. I have an identical twin brother who is my best friend.
SUPER: Zach
Clinical trial participant
Currently on daily oral PrEP
PrEP=pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Zach: So in 2008, we found out that my brother contracted HIV. It shaped a lot of who I am today and shaped a lot of my perspective on how I view my health in general, especially my, my physical health and my sexual health. Fast-forward to today. My brother is undetectable. And he was a big reason my PrEP journey started. And so, I got in an APRETUDE clinical trial. Every 2 months I would drive an hour and a half right after work. Go in, do what I needed to do for the study at my appointment, and drive an hour and a half back and go to work the next day. And so that was for me how much that this study and how much that being on PrEP meant to me.
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.
Zach: So I ended up moving. I’m packing my stuff up. I’m talking to my brother about, hey, I’m going to need a primary care physician down there. I’m doing intake, and I say, oh, I’m wondering, you know, what can I do to get on APRETUDE? And essentially the answer was, oh well we’re not equipped to administer that at this point in time. I put in a lot of effort to stay in the clinical trial, and I just wish that my doctor showed that same effort to get me back on to APRETUDE. So I am back on oral PrEP, but I am looking to get on the injectable PrEP whenever it’s offered by my doctor.
Zach: So I think that it’s a missed opportunity, if there is a primary care physician who does not offer APRETUDE. To me, it should be every primary care physician should offer this.
Dr. Hatfield: I’m Kevin Hatfield, and I’m a family practice doc.
SUPER: Dr Kevin Hatfield
Family Practice Physician
Dr Hatfield: The thing that really struck me initially was the fact that Zach wants to be on APRETUDE and he doesn’t have anyone that can actually offer APRETUDE to him.
He obviously was organizing his life around something that he felt was of utmost importance. For me as a provider, it hits me hard when he says that. And I think that not being able to give some patients what they need and what they want when it is appropriate for HIV prevention for them, is huge.
Dr Hatfield: I felt like it was my obligation to be able to offer APRETUDE because there are patients like Zach who have the desire to be on it, and that’s valid enough reason for me to be able to provide it. And now that I see the benefit that many patients feel with that 2-month protocol rather than a daily pill, I just felt like it was an obligation that I had to actually meet.
SUPER: What could APRETUDE mean for your patients like Zach?
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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CBTVID220033 March 2023
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