ViiV Healthcare shares new data from Positive Perspectives, Wave 2 study, confirming a more holistic approach to HIV care can improve quality of life

High levels of engagement between healthcare providers and people living with HIV are associated with better health outcomes

London, 4 July 2020 – ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority-owned by GSK, with Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Limited as shareholders, today presented four abstracts at the Virtual, 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020), providing insights into the unmet needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV). Positive Perspectives, Wave 2 study (Positive Perspectives 2) results highlight the importance of a holistic approach involving people living with HIV in open dialogue and joint decision-making with their healthcare providers (HCPs), particularly as people living with HIV plan for healthy ageing. These patient-reported outcomes data demonstrate that empowered people living with HIV who work with their HCPs on this collaborative approach were more likely to report viral suppression and, importantly, improvements in aspects of quality of life.

Study results highlighted:

• High HCP-PLHIV engagement was associated with significantly better reported health outcomes1 and improving the quality of this communication may better support improvements in aspects of quality of life, beyond viral suppression.1
  • Of those people living with HIV in the study with high engagement in their care, 70% (569/813) reported optimal overall health, compared to 46% (334/726) reporting optimal overall health among those with low engagement in their care.1
  • 88% (716/813) of those with high engagement reported treatment satisfaction compared to 47% (340/756) with low engagement.1
  • 65% (1,556/2,389) of people living with HIV in the study agreed that they would like to be more involved in treatment decisions about their HIV care, yet 77% (1,847/2,389) reported ≥one issue they felt uncomfortable discussing with their HCPs.1
• Those in the study who reported being informed of U=U by their HCPs (66%, 1,588/2,389) reported more favourable health outcomes than those reporting they were not informed by their HCPs.2
• Almost one quarter (23%, 161/699) of people living with HIV aged ≥50 years in the study reported suboptimal physical, mental, sexual and overall health.3
  • Over three quarters (76%, 480/632) of treatment-experienced people living with HIV aged ≥50 years in the study reported that ensuring minimal side effects is the treatment topic most important to them.4
  • In people living with HIV aged ≥50 years in the study, communication issues can hinder optimisation of care with 53% (335/632) of treatment-experienced and 84% (56/67) of newly-diagnosed* individuals reporting barriers to raising concerns with HCPs, including medicine-related concerns.4

*Newly diagnosed in the study was defined as PLHIV who have been diagnosed from January 2017

Dr. Benjamin Young, Head, Global Medical Directors of ViiV Healthcare, said: “As the care of people living with HIV has progressed, the focus has moved away from simply surviving, to living and wellness with HIV, with improved quality of life as the desired goal. As people living with HIV grow older, their life priorities and treatment needs may evolve; consequently, it is important that they work in close partnership with their healthcare providers to identify and plan for these changes. The Positive Perspectives 2 study represents the voices of people living with HIV from 25 countries and shows us ways that a collaborative and holistic approach to HIV care can improve health outcomes.”

One of the largest, global, HIV patient-reported outcomes studies to date, Positive Perspectives 2 includes input from a diverse group of 2,389 people living with HIV, aged 18 – 84 from 25 countries; the research was developed in collaboration with an international, multi-disciplinary Advisory Committee including PLHIV, HCPs and representatives from HIV support groups. The study investigates how people living with HIV rate their own health, how living with HIV impacts their lives and affects their outlook for the future, examines their interactions and relationships with HCPs and their experiences with antiretroviral therapy. The insights gained from the study can help address the unmet needs and challenges faced by people living with HIV and contribute towards improving quality of life.

Erika Castellanos, Director of Programs, Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE) and Positive Perspectives 2 Advisory Committee Member, said: “Results from the Positive Perspectives 2 study provide insights into the challenges we face as people living with HIV. While great advances have been made in the treatment of HIV, these results show that those of us living with HIV still need support to empower us to confidently advocate for ourselves across all aspects of our care. HIV makes us more vulnerable to other health conditions, so it is crucial that we feel licensed to play active roles in our HIV care and regularly discuss changing treatment needs with our HCPs.”

To read more about the results from the Positive Perspectives 2 study, please visit ViiVHealthcare.com to review the global study report, including additional data on polypharmacy and HIV in women.