ViiV Healthcare today announces the marketing authorisation of a new treatment for HIV patients which will see the first once daily, single-tablet two-drug regimen authorised in the UK for those starting HIV treatment as well as those currently on treatment.

Treatments for HIV have progressed radically over the past few decades: ViiV’s latest  drug, ‘Dovato▼’ (dolutegravir/lamivudine) is a two-drug regimen which is proven to work as well as traditional three-drug regimens with no cases of resistance through 48 weeks. This means that people living with HIV may be able to take fewer drugs whilst having the same efficacy outcomes.

People with HIV now live longer, fuller lives than previous decades, yet, a lack of awareness often leads to misconceptions meaning people can fear and judge those living with HIV.

Myths surrounding HIV often involve misunderstanding around the quality of life lived by those following a diagnosis, which has changed entirely over the past few decades. Those living with HIV have access to much bigger support networks than at the start of the epidemic in the 1980’s.

The ‘HIV Has Changed’ campaign aims to highlight further these vast differences in both treatment and support that those living with HIV experience nowadays. The message of ‘can’t pass it on’ based on the evidence that people on effective HIV treatment with an undetectable viral load can’t pass on the virus to their sexual partners  encapsulates exactly how far everything has come.