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UK Just Approved a Twice-a-Year HIV Prevention Shot – Say Goodbye to Daily Pills Forever!
The United Kingdom has greenlit a revolutionary long-acting injectable for HIV prevention, marking a major step forward in making protection more accessible and user-friendly compared to traditional daily pills.The medication, known as cabotegravir (brand name Apretude, manufactured by ViiV Healthcare), is administered as an intramuscular injection every two months—meaning just six shots per year—instead of remembering to take a tablet every single day. This long-acting formulation (CAB-LA) is a game-changer for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which prevents HIV infection in people at high risk through sexual transmission
Cabotegravir belongs to a class of drugs called integrase strand transfer inhibitors. It works by interfering with a key enzyme that HIV needs to insert its genetic material into human cells, effectively blocking the virus from establishing a foothold and starting an infection. Clinical trials (such as HPTN 083 and HPTN 084) demonstrated that injectable cabotegravir provides superior or comparable protection to daily oral PrEP (like tenofovir/emtricitabine combinations), with real-world effectiveness often exceeding 99% when adhered to properly.The approval came via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in final draft guidance issued on October 17, 2025, recommending cabotegravir specifically for adults and adolescents (weighing at least 35 kg) at high risk of acquiring HIV who cannot use oral PrEP due to factors like difficulty swallowing pills, medical contraindications, adherence barriers (e.g., privacy concerns, homelessness, or partner-related issues), or other challenges. It’s the first injectable PrEP option appraised and recommended by NICE, and the first long-acting PrEP to be reimbursed on the NHS in England and Wales.
Rollout is expected through specialist sexual health clinics on the National Health Service (NHS) in the coming months (with implementation targeted within three months of final guidance in England, and sooner in Wales if no appeals). Scotland had already approved it earlier via the Scottish Medicines Consortium. Initially, it’s anticipated to benefit around 1,000 people per year in England who face barriers to daily pills, though broader access could follow as experience grows.Health experts, including the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and organizations like Terrence Higgins Trust and National AIDS Trust, hail this as a “game-changing” and “groundbreaking” milestone. By addressing adherence issues—one of the biggest hurdles in PrEP effectiveness—this option could dramatically reduce new HIV diagnoses, support the UK’s ambitious target of eliminating HIV transmissions by 2030, and bring equity to prevention for diverse at-risk groups.Shared for informational and educational purposes only—this expands choices in HIV prevention but should be discussed with a healthcare provider for personalized advice.Sources/Credits: NICE guidance (October 2025), NHS England announcements, ViiV Healthcare press releases, UKHSA reports, BHIVA guidelines, and related public health coverage.
