Cabotegravir (CAB-LA) which prevent HIV is to be offered to patients on the NHS. The injections, given six times a year or every other month, is an alternative to taking daily pills to protect against the virus.
Experts hope that this initiative will help meet the ambition of ending new HIV cases by 2030 in the UK.
Meanwhile, early results for a different injection called lenacapavir suggest it may even be possible to move people on to an annual HIV prevention jab.
HIV prevention therapy, known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), is taken by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of getting HIV.
Pills have been available for years and are still extremely effective at stopping HIV infections, but are not always easy for some to take.
It can be hard to access, not practical, or feel embarrassing. For example, people might worry someone like parents or housemates could find their pills.
HIV is a virus that damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight everyday infections and diseases.
It can be caught during unprotected sex or through sharing needles. Mothers can also pass it to their baby at birth.
Cabotegravir should be used in combination with safer sex practices, such as use of condoms.
The NHS has an undisclosed discount from the manufacturer for the treatment that has a list price of around £7,000 per patient per year.
The jab will be considered for adults and adolescents with a healthy weight who are at high risk of sexually acquired HIV and eligible for PrEP, but for whom taking oral tablets would be difficult. It’s thought around 1,000 people will be offered it.
Access to the treatment varies significantly by group, with uptake highest among white (79.4%) and ethnic minority (77.8%) gay, bisexual and all men who have sex with men, but much lower among black African heterosexual women (34.6%) and men (36.4%).
At the same time, HIV testing has expanded across hospital A&E departments in England. Currently, 89 routinely test anyone who has blood taken, specifically in cities and towns with high HIV prevalence.
