title: Delivery of long-acting injectable antivirals: best approaches and recent advances.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment of chronic disease in a manner that promotes compliance and patient adherence has necessitated the consideration for drug delivery approaches that reduce the burden of regimens requiring daily treatment. Long-acting injectable (LAI) products have been developed in many disease areas and are now being exploited for the treatment of infectious disease, most notably HIV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Research published over the past 3 years has shown that LAI nanosuspensions of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and integrase inhibitors provide extended exposure to the active drug over a period of days to weeks. Some of these candidates are currently in clinical study and are highly anticipated medications for the prevention of HIV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAIs represent a growing need in the treatment of chronic infections. To date, the approach has been most successfully applied in the treatment of HIV, but could certainly be expanded into other diseases like tuberculosis. Most importantly, LAIs can provide a means to help prevent the emergence of resistance which may be attributed to lack of compliance to regimens requiring daily, oral administration.
authors.affiliation: Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Magali B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merisko-Liversidge
authors.forename: Julius F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Remenar
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namchuk
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D007267:Injections; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations