Trending News Today: Investigational Long-Acting HIV Injection Shows Efficacy in Study

A new study showed that a bimonthly injection of GlaxoSmithKline’s long-acting investigational 2-drug HIV combination is just as effective as a monthly dose, Reuters reported. According to the article, the study evaluated the investigational drug combination of cabotegravir and rilpvirine. At 48 weeks, the data demonstrated that the 2-drug injection was just as effective in maintaining viral suppression as a monthly dose of the same regimen, the article reported.

The US Preventive Services Task Force has expanded on its cancer screening recommendations, indicating that more women may benefit from gene testing for hereditary breast or ovarian cancers, The Associated Press reported. According to the article, the task force recommended that women may benefit from gene testing if they were previously treated for breast or other BRCA-related cancers or if their ancestry is prone to BRCA mutations. Cancer groups have similar recommendations for BRCA testing and advise that newly-diagnosed patients be tested too, since inherited risk can impact choices about surgery and treatment, the article reported.

AstraZeneca’s dapagliflozin met the primary endpoint in a study evaluating the drug’s use in the treatment of heart failure, The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the study, DAPA-HF, included 4744 patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Overall, the data showed that dapagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure in patients with reduced ejection fraction when added to standard of care, the article reported.