NHS to Offer HIV Prevention Injection for the First Time
A long-acting injection to prevent HIV is now available to patients on the National Health Service in England and Wales, mirroring a policy already in place in Scotland.
The injection, cabotegravir (CAB-LA), will be administered six times a year or every other month as an alternative to daily HIV prevention pills, known as PrEP. Experts believe this new method will contribute to the UK’s goal of eliminating new HIV cases by 2030. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting stated, “The approval of this game-changing injection perfectly embodies what this government is determined to deliver – cutting-edge treatments that save lives and leave no one behind. For vulnerable people who are unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, this represents hope.”
Currently, approximately 1,000 individuals identified as high risk and eligible for PrEP, but for whom daily pills are impractical, will be offered the injection through NHS sexual health clinics in the coming months. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) notes the treatment has a list price of around £7,000 per patient annually, though the NHS has secured an undisclosed discount. This development is particularly significant as access to traditional PrEP isn’t equitable; for example, uptake is considerably lower among Black African heterosexual women and men. You can learn more about HIV and AIDS on the NHS website.
While pill-based PrEP remains highly effective, challenges with access, practicality, and discretion can hinder consistent use. The injection offers a convenient and confidential alternative, and officials are exploring expanding access beyond sexual health clinics. The Terrence Higgins Trust has noted the importance of rapid rollout and reaching those currently underserved by existing prevention methods; you can find more information about their work here.
The NHS will continue to monitor the rollout and assess the impact of the injection, with plans to consider a potential annual jab based on promising early results from trials of lenacapavir.
