‘Game-changing’ HIV prevention jab to be approved for use in England and Wales

A “game-changing” HIV-prevention treatment is set to be approved for use in England and Wales.

Cabotegravir (CAB-LA) is an injection administered every two months to reduce the risk of infection in HIV-negative adults and young people, offering an alternative to the daily pills that are used.

The tablets, known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), cannot be taken by some of those at risk because of medical or other reasons.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended CAB-LA for use in draft guidance published on Friday.

CAB-LA is the first injectable PrEP option and the first PrEP medicine that Nice has approved.

It is expected to be available around three months after Nice publishes its final guidance later this year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the approval of the injection was “game-changing”.

For vulnerable people unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, the injection “represents hope”, he said.

He added: “We’re making real progress on HIV, with PrEP use up by 8% this year, and our ambition goes even further.

“England will be the first country to end HIV transmissions by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool in our arsenal to reach that crucial goal.”

More than 111,000 people accessed PrEP in sexual health clinics in England last year, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a 7% increase on the previous year.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said HIV “remains a serious public health challenge, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections”.

“Around 1,000 people in England cannot have daily oral PrEP due to medical contraindications or other barriers which is why this injection offers an effective option for this community,” she said.

Around the same number of people are expected to benefit from the new treatment in England per year, according to Nice.