'Game-changing' HIV prevention injection to be approved for use in England and Wales.
The long-acting shot, given every two months, will be an alternative to the daily pills used to protect against the virus.
This form of HIV preventive therapy, known as Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis), is usually taken by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of infection.
In draft guidelines published Friday, the National Institute of Research Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for adults and young people at risk of HIV infection who are unable to take the drug orally.
The jab is now available on NHS Scotland.
Minister of Health, Wes Streetingsaid the jab's approval was a “game changer.”
“For vulnerable people who cannot use other HIV prevention methods, this offers hope,” he said.
“We have made real progress in the fight against HIV, with Prep use up by 8% this year, and our ambitions go even further. England will be the first country to end HIV transmission by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool in our arsenal to achieve this important goal.”
Implementation is expected to begin in about three months after Nice publishes its final recommendations later this year.
More than 111,000 people accessed Prep at sexual health clinics in England in 2024, up 7% on the previous year, according to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA).
Helen Knight, director of drug evaluation at Nice, said HIV “remains a major public health problem, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections.”
“Around 1,000 people in England are unable to receive daily oral preparation due to medical contraindications or other barriers, so this injection is an effective option for this community,” she said.
According to Nice, up to 1,000 people a year are expected to use the new treatment in England.
