Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts have found a convenient way to possibly combat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Conventionally, effects and severity of the disease are reduced through therapies that manage the virus. However, both medication and therapies have been ineffective due to the lack of adherence from the patient.
Recent developments of a slow-release pill can potentially solve the problem, as patients suffering HIV/AIDS will now just need one dose good for a week.
True to its name, the pill works by slowly dissolving inside the stomach of the patient throughout the week. While inside the patient's body, the pill releases different drugs at different stages .
This varying rate of drug distribution inside the body is worth all the antiretroviral medications that a person with HIV/AIDS needs for a week.
According to Giovanni Traverso, co-author of the official study published in Nature Communications, the framework was first used to distribute drugs that combat malaria.
However, Traverso said that unlike malaria, HIV/AIDS require several "containers" of drugs because it requires multiple doses of different kinds. The expert from MIT Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research explained that the HIV/AIDS capsule has one strong polymer that has "six arms" to make varied distribution possible.
"In a way, it's like putting a pillbox in a capsule. Now you have chambers for every day of the week on a single capsule," said Traverso in his previous study published in Science journal.
While it has not yet been tested on humans, the researchers have successfully tested it on pigs.
The team of experts first loaded the capsule with three antiretroviral drugs which are dolutegravir, rilpivirine, and cabotegravir. All of these are known to effectively combat HIV/AIDS.
The researchers said in their report that the drugs have successfully discharged from the capsule on its expected time of the week. Once the drugs were released, the capsule itself disintegrated and caused the pigs no gastrointestinal issues.
While still a work in progress, the medical team believes that this will boost HIV/AIDS prevention while also increasing treatment efficiency.
