A long acting injection given every two months to reduce the risk of contracting HIV is to be made available in England for people who are unable to have a daily prophylaxis tablet.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said its approval1 of the “groundbreaking” preventative therapy would support the government’s target of eliminating HIV transmissions by 2030.
Latest data from the UK Health and Security Agency show that new HIV diagnoses fell by 2% in England from 2838 in 2023 to 2773 in 2024.2
“This breakthrough preventative therapy is another powerful tool in our arsenal to reach that crucial goal,” said health secretary Wes Streeting.
NICE’s final draft guidance recommends cabotegravir (Apretude, made by ViiV Healthcare) as an option for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) alongside safer sex practices to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in adults …
