Game-changer in HIV Treatment: Is the monthly Cabenuva injection right for me?
The Village Pharmacy is an approved Cabenuva-injection site. If you are on Cabenuva, or thinking about going on Cabenuva, you can get your monthly injections at The Village Pharmacy’s Yonge Street location in downtown Toronto.
Want to learn more about Cabenuva? Ask us your questions and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
What is Cabenuva?
Cabenuva is a long-acting HIV treatment regimen administered by injection, once a month. It contains 2 two HIV medications – cabotegravir and rilpivirine (Edurant).
Cabenuva received Health Canada approval in 2020. It is the first and only long-acting HIV maintenance regimen for people who are virologically stable and suppressed (less than 50 copies per milliliter).
Cabenuva is a complete replacement for your current antiretroviral treatment. No additional HIV medications are required.
Who can go on Cabenuva?
Cabenuva is a treatment option if you are ‘undetectable’ – that is, the amount of HIV in your blood is less than 50 copies per milliliter, and you are currently on medication for HIV treatment.
What’s the process for starting Cabenuva?
If you meet the criteria for Cabenuva, you’ll first start with cabotegravir and rilpivirine tablets daily for a month. This is to make sure you can tolerate these medications without any allergy or serious side effects, and these drugs are successful at maintaining viral suppression.
If all is good with the tablet versions of cabotegravir and rilpivirine at 28 days, you’ll immediately switch to the monthly Cabenuva injections so there is no interruption in your treatment.
How effective is Cabenuva?
Cabenuva is just as effective as single tablet regimens currently on the market, such as Atripla and Biktarvy.
Interested in the research?
POZ.com has a simplified but thorough overview of the research results for Cabenuva coming out of the ATLAS & Flair studies; both found Cabenuva to be ‘non-inferior’ to other ART regimens. Read here for more.
Janssen results of Phase 3 trials - Read the Press Release.
Is Cabenuva right for me? Pros & Cons:
Here are some real benefits to consider when thinking about Cabenuva plus a a few downsides you should be aware of:
PROs
No pills! This is good if you sometimes forget to take your regular dose of medication each day.
Privacy. Going on Cabenuva means you can be discreet about the meds you’re taking, especially if you don’t want to share your HIV status with the people you live or work with.
Regular facetime with a nurse. You’ll need to see a nurse each month for your Cabenuva injection, so you’ll be able to discuss any concerns you have about your treatment as they arise.
Fewer HIV drugs: Cabenuva contains only two HIV medications - cabotegravir and rilpivirine - not three like most HIV single tablet regimens.
CONs
Injections can be a bit painful. There is a chance of minor side effects like skin reactions, lack of energy and muscle pain when Cabenuva is administered.
Not covered by ODB. Cabenuva is not currently covered by ODB, but it is covered by private insurance.
Injection site: Cabenuva can only be injected into the buttocks, not the arm.
How much does Cabenuva cost?
Cabenuva costs about $1400 per month in Ontario.
Cabenuva is covered by most private insurance plans.
Is Cabenuva covered in Ontario?
UPDATE: Cabenuva is now covered by Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB), which means if you have Trillium coverage, are a senior (age 65+), or are on another plan covered by ODB, Cabenuva is now covered.
Co-pay assistance is also now available! Cabenuva now has a co-pay assistance card to help with insurance deductibles, so most people switching to Cabenuva will have zero out-of-pocket costs.
How do I start Cabenuva?
The best place to start is a consultation with your doctor to see if Cabenuva is a good fit. Your doctor can send the prescription directly to The Village Pharmacy and we will coordinate with a nurse to set up your regular monthly injections.
The Village Pharmacy is an approved Cabenuva Injection Site
The Village Pharmacy has 2 locations in Toronto that are approved Cabenuva Injection Sites. They both offer a private office space to allow for comfort and discretion when receiving your Cabenuva injection.
Our locations are wheelchair accessible, easily accessible by transit, plus there’s plenty of parking nearby.
If you and your doctor think Cabenuva is right for you, please contact us:
The Village Pharmacy - 2518 Yonge Street, north of Eglinton
Tel: 416-487-9128
Fax: 416-487-1605
Email: midtown@thevillagepharmacy.ca
The Village Pharmacy - 535 Yonge Street at Wellesley
Tel: 416-960-2323
Fax: 416-960-0770
Email: yonge@thevillagepharmacy.ca