[CROI 2026] Contagion Live: Switching to bictegravir-lenacapavir combination maintains HIV virologic suppression (ARTISTRY-1 & ARTISTRY-2)

Contagion Live news stories

Switching to bictegravir-lenacapavir combination maintains HIV virologic suppression in patients with complex regimens (ARTISTRY-1 trial)

At CROI 2026, investigators presented data from the ARTISTRY-1 phase 3 trial, which studied the combination of bictegravir/lenacapavir as a single-tablet regimen for individuals who had virological suppression on complex treatment regimens. Some individuals with HIV have not had the ability to be on a single-tablet regimen due to various reasons, including developing treatment resistance, comorbidities, or drug interactions. These challenges often arise in a large group of older patients who have had HIV for many years.

Novel single-tablet regimen demonstrates noninferiority to standard HIV therapy (ARTISTRY-2 trial)

In the phase 3 ARTISTRY-2 trial, switching virologically suppressed people with HIV from bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide to a once-daily bictegravir/lenacapavir single-tablet regimen maintained viral suppression through Week 48 with comparable safety and tolerability. The new investigational single-tablet regimen combining bictegravir (an integrase strand-transfer inhibitor) with lenacapavir (a first-in-class capsid inhibitor) is being evaluated as a potential next-generation option for individuals who are already virologically suppressed.