A long-acting injection to prevent HIV is set to be approved for use in England and Wales, offering an alternative to daily pills used to reduce the risk of infection.
The treatment, called cabotegravir (CAB-LA), is a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep) administered once every two months. It is designed for adults and young people at risk of HIV who cannot take oral Prep, according to draft guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
Already available on the NHS in Scotland, the injection is expected to be rolled out in England and Wales about three months after final guidance is issued later this year.
Health secretary Wes Streeting hailed the decision as “gamechanging,” saying it would bring new hope to vulnerable people. “England will be the first country to end HIV transmissions by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool to reach that goal,” he said.
More than 111,000 people accessed Prep in England’s sexual health clinics in 2024, an increase of 7% from the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said HIV “remains a serious public health challenge,” but the injection provides a crucial option for the roughly 1,000 people who cannot take daily Prep.
Up to 1,000 people in England are expected to benefit from the new long-acting treatment each year.
