ViiV Healthcare, announced on 5/21/18 that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Juluca (dolutegravir 50mg/rilpivirine 25mg) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen for at least six months with no history of virological failure and no known or suspected resistance to any non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or integrase inhibitor. Juluca is a 2-drug regimen of dolutegravir (ViiV Healthcare), the most widely prescribed integrase inhibitor worldwide, and rilpivirine (Janssen Sciences Ireland UC, part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson).
This approval brings another treatment option to the estimated 810,000 PLHIV in Europe. It follows the Positive Opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Human use of Medicinal Products (CHMP) on 22 March 2018. Juluca was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2017 and Health Canada on 18 May 2018.
Deborah Waterhouse, CEO ViiV Healthcare said, “The European Commission Decision for Juluca is very positive news for people living with HIV (PLHIV) across Europe, who will now have the opportunity to maintain their viral suppression with a complete treatment regimen composed of only two drugs within a single-pill. Thanks to advances in treatment, many PLHIV who are on therapy are living longer, with near-normal life expectancies. We listened to their concerns about the potential long-term effects of being on treatment for decades, and have developed a solution aligned with a preference to streamline care by taking fewer antiretrovirals to manage their HIV.”
With the advent of Juluca, we have found a way to reduce the number of antiretrovirals whilst maintaining the efficacy of the traditional 3-drug regimen. This is already being recognised by the European AIDS Society (EACS 2017) guidelines recommending a dolutegravir and rilpivirine regimen as a switch option for virologically suppressed patients.” said John C Pottage, Jr, MD, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ViiV,
