By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Ministry of Health Uganda has today, Friday, 23rd August 2024 announced that it is set to introduce a new long-acting injectable for HIV prevention, Cabotegravir (CAB-LA), beginning this September.
Cabotegravir tablets and cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension (also known as long-acting injectable cabotegravir) can be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of getting HIV in people who are HIV negative.
According to the World Health Organization that recommended the use of the drug as early as 2012, CAB-LA is an intramuscular injectable, long-acting form of PrEP, with the first 2 injections administered 4 weeks apart, followed thereafter by an injection every 8 weeks.
CAB-LA was shown to be safe and highly effective among cisgender women, cisgender men who have sex with men, and transgender women who have sex with men in 2 randomized controlled trials, HPTN 083 and HPTN 084. Together, these landmark studies found that use of CAB-LA resulted in a 79% relative reduction in HIV risk compared with oral PrEP, where adherence to taking daily oral medication was often a challenge.
Long-acting injectable products have also been found to be acceptable and sometimes preferred in studies examining community PrEP preferences.
