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Stick It in Me! Injectable PrEP and You

Cheeky titles aside, we are past due to dive into a game-changer that’s topping the world of HIV prevention: Injectable PrEP. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, knowing about this innovative form of prevention is essential... Injectable PrEP is the solution we’ve been needing! It’s like a superhero power-up for HIV prevention. Instead of taking a pill every day, you can get a shot of long-acting PrEP every two months. Yes, you read that right, every two months! It’s a game-changer for people who find it challenging to stick to a daily routine. It ups the chances of a patient being able to stick with the medicine (pun intended), which results in decreased HIV transmission!

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Articles of Interest

How Apretude Prevents HIV: The Future of HIV Prevention is Here

Unlike traditional PrEP pills like Truvada and Descovy, Apretude eliminates the need for daily dosing. This can reduce the chances of missed doses and ensure consistent protection against HIV. Apretude also provides an option for those who may experience side effects or difficulties with oral medications.

A new injection to prevent HIV, rather than pills, is a game changer, scientists say

The drug, called Apretude but also known as cabotegravir, is an injection that has proven to be significantly more effective at reducing the risk of sexually-acquired HIV. Before the FDA approval on Monday, the more common way to take pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP, was through a daily pill. Now, an injection only needed once every eight weeks could help mitigate the social stigma of HIV and prevent its spread.

Apretude (cabotegravir): PrEP Made Easier

Apretude is an injectable form of cabotegravir, a medication specifically designed to prevent HIV infection. Unlike traditional PrEP medications, which require daily oral intake, Apretude is administered via injection in the buttock every two months. This long-acting injectable option provides a convenient and effective method for individuals at risk of HIV, reducing the burden associated with taking pills daily.

Apretude Approved—the First Long-Acting Injectable PrEP Option

In both of the adult trials, Apretude was safe and well tolerated. The most common side effect is injection site reactions, including pain, redness or swelling. These are usually mild or moderate and last only a few days. While most trial participants reported such reactions, few stopped the injections for this reason. In other studies, most people who tried both PrEP pills and the injections said they preferred the latter.

Injectable PrEP

Apretude gives people another choice - especially those who don't like taking daily pills.

Long-Acting Apretude Effective PrEP Option Based on Real-World Findings

“We’ve come super far in our ending the HIV epidemic war, but we’re not there yet,” said author Taimur Khan, MD, an infectious disease specialist and the associate medical research director of The Fenway Institute, in Boston. “The last part is getting the prevention and treatment into the hands of the people that need it the most, and this study did two of those things and provided a new modality that is less frequent and cumbersome for patients.”

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (Apretude)

Individuals must be tested for HIV-1 infection prior to initiating APRETUDE or oral cabotegravir, and with each subsequent injection of APRETUDE, using a test approved or cleared by the FDA for the diagnosis of acute or primary HIV-1 infection.

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention is safe in pregnancy

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) was safe and well tolerated as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during pregnancy in the follow-up phase of a global study among cisgender women. The analysis of outcomes from more than 300 pregnancies and infants will be presented at the 2024 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.

Protecting Women Against HIV Just Got 9 Times Easier

"What our results show is that cabotegravir was indeed superior to Truvada in preventing HIV infection," she says. Out of the 3,223 women in the study, half were getting Truvada and half were getting the injection. Three years after enrolling in the program, there were 34 HIV infections among women on Truvada versus just 4 in the group getting cabotegravir. This dramatic difference is striking in part because Truvada is already considered in the AIDS community to be a useful prevention tool.

Ultra-long-acting cabotegravir could be taken three times a year for HIV PrEP and treatment

A small phase I trial showed that the new ultra-long-acting formulation given by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection every four months achieves comparable drug exposure but lasts longer in the body than the approved formulation administered every two months, reported Dr Kelong Han of GSK, the parent company of ViiV Healthcare.

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Apretude

Administered as an intramuscular injection by a healthcare professional every 2 months after 2 initiation injections administered one month apart.