Cabenuva (cabotegravir and rilpivirine extended-release injectable suspension), dosed every 2 months, was superior to daily oral dolutegravir/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine (DTG/TDF/3TC) in virally suppressed adolescents living with HIV, according to week 96 data from the LATA trial (NCT05154747).1 The findings, along with new real-world data from the US-based OPERA cohort, were presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.1
Week 96 LATA data presented at AIDS 2026 show superior viral suppression versus oral therapy
What Infectious Disease Specialists Need to Know
What were the primary results of the LATA trial?
Confirmed viral rebound occurred in 0.9% of adolescents receiving Cabenuva compared with 6.4% receiving daily oral DTG/TDF/3TC over 96 weeks, meeting superiority criteria.
How did Cabenuva perform in real-world use in the OPERA cohort?
In nearly 6800 virologically suppressed adults, Cabenuva maintained comparable virologic suppression to daily oral BIC/FTC/TAF, with low and similar rates of confirmed virologic failure in both groups.
What is Cabenuva approved for?
Cabenuva is a complete injectable regimen combining cabotegravir and rilpivirine, indicated for HIV-1 infection in virologically suppressed adults and adolescents 12 years and older weighing at least 35 kg.
LATA, led by Sarah L. Pett, MD, a professor of infectious diseases, and her team at University College London, enrolled 476 virologically suppressed adolescents aged 12 to 19 years across Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.2 Confirmed viral rebound occurred in 0.9% of adolescents receiving Cabenuva (2 of 235) compared with 6.4% receiving daily oral therapy (15 of 241). Ninety-four percent of adolescents receiving Cabenuva, 215 of 228, reported the long-acting injections were much easier to take than daily oral therapy.
Separately, real-world data from the OPERA cohort in the United States found Cabenuva maintained virologic suppression comparable to daily oral bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) in nearly 6800 virologically suppressed adults with HIV.3 Eighty-nine percent of individuals receiving Cabenuva (3655 of 4095) had a viral load below 50 copies/mL at a median follow-up of 15 months, compared with 83% of those receiving BIC/FTC/TAF (2239 of 2699), at a median follow-up of 22 months.3 Confirmed virologic failure occurred in 1% of the Cabenuva group and 2% of the BIC/FTC/TAF group, consistent with other long-acting comparative data presented this week.3
"The data presented at AIDS 2026 underscore the depth and breadth of evidence ViiV Healthcare has generated for long-acting injectables across HIV treatment and prevention," said Jean van Wyk, MBChB, MFPM, chief medical officer at ViiV Healthcare, in a statement.1 Van Wyk said the OPERA findings, drawn from nearly 6800 adults in routine care, show Cabenuva maintained high and comparable virologic suppression to daily oral therapy outside a clinical trial setting.1
Long-Acting Injectable Pipeline Continues to Expand
ViiV also presented additional long-acting data at the meeting, including 6-month follow-up results from the phase 1 CLARITY study (NCT06970223) comparing injection-site experience between long-acting cabotegravir and lenacapavir after a single dose, part of a broader wave of long-acting HIV regimen data presented at AIDS 2026.1 Seventy percent of CLARITY participants, 42 of 60, rated the cabotegravir injection experience as "very acceptable" or "totally acceptable," compared with 37%, 22 of 60, for lenacapavir.
Cabenuva combines cabotegravir, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor developed by ViiV Healthcare, with rilpivirine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor developed by Johnson & Johnson.1 It is indicated as a complete regimen for HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents 12 years and older weighing at least 35 kg who are virologically suppressed on a stable regimen with no history of treatment failure and no known or suspected resistance to either component.
References
ViiV Healthcare. Cabenuva Demonstrates Superiority to Daily Oral Therapy in Adolescents Living With HIV, as ViiV Healthcare Highlights New Long-Acting Injectable Data at AIDS 2026. News release. Published July 29, 2026. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://viivhealthcare.com/hiv-news-and-media/news/press-releases/2026/july/new-long-acting-injectable-data-at-aids-2026/
Dangarembiz MB, et al. Eight-weekly injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine is superior to daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine/dolutegravir in adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: LATA 96-week results. Presented at: 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026); July 2026.
Hsu R, et al. Comparable virologic effectiveness with long-acting cabotegravir + rilpivirine vs daily bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide in the US-based OPERA cohort. Presented at: 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026); July 2026.
