A long-acting injection to prevent HIV is set to be approved for use in England and Wales, offering an alternative to daily oral medication.
The jab, called cabotegravir (CAB-LA), is administered once every two months and provides a new option for people who cannot take the standard daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep) pills used to prevent HIV infection. The treatment is already available on the NHS in Scotland.
In new draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the injection for adults and young people at risk of HIV who are unable to take oral Prep. Final approval is expected later this year, with rollout likely to begin within three months.
Health secretary Wes Streeting hailed the move as “gamechanging,” saying it would bring England closer to its goal of ending HIV transmissions by 2030. “For vulnerable people who are unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, this represents hope,” he said.
More than 111,000 people accessed Prep in England in 2024, up 7% from the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
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 use daily oral Prep, which is why this injection offers an effective option.”
Nice estimates that up to 1,000 people a year will benefit from the new treatment once it becomes available.
