HIV prevention drug approved by FDA could also “stop brain tumours growing”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an injectable cabotegravir drug that prevents HIV and could also “stop brain tumours growing.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an injectable form of GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s (GSK.L) cabotegravir drug that prevents HIV and could also “stop brain tumours growing.”

The drug is given every two months to prevent the infection of HIV.

The injection, Apretude, is an alternative to taking daily pills and has been approved for at-risk adults and adolescents.

The initial two doses are given one month apart and then administered every two months thereafter.

Patients can begin their treatment with Apretude or take oral cabotegravir for four weeks to see how they tolerate the drug.

Apretude comes with a warning to only use the drug after having tested negative for HIV.

Approval of the drug was based on a final study that found it to be 66 per cent more effective in preventing the infection than Gilead’s (GILD.O) Truvada daily oral pills.

However, Cabotegravir and the daily oral pill were both well tolerated in the study, in which men who engage in sexual activity with other men and transgender women who have sex with men participated.

The BBC reports today, December 22, that scientists at the University of Plymouth have said the drugs could also “stop brain tumours growing.”

The charity Brain Tumour Research, which funded the work, said it was “exciting” and discussions were underway about clinical trials.

Senior researcher Dr Sylwia Ammoun said a drug “could be used on its own” and have a “tremendous effect on tumour growth” but could also be more effective when combined with others.

Hugh Adams, from the Brain Tumour Research charity, said the work was “really exciting” because “one of the problems we have is getting new drugs to market.”

He said: “What they are exploring here is repurposing drugs that are already in existence, and giving a new chance for tumour patients who have been waiting too long for these opportunities.”

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