A long-acting HIV prevention jab is set to be approved for use in England and Wales, offering an alternative to daily pills currently used to prevent infection.
The injection, known as cabotegravir (CAB-LA), is administered every two months and works as a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative individuals at risk of contracting the virus.
In new draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the treatment for adults and young people unable to take oral PrEP. The jab is already available through the NHS in Scotland.
Health secretary Wes Streeting hailed the move as “gamechanging,” calling it a major step toward ending HIV transmission by 2030. “For vulnerable people who are unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, this represents hope,” he said.
The rollout is expected to begin roughly three months after Nice publishes its final guidance later this year.
More than 111,000 people accessed PrEP through sexual health clinics in England in 2024, an increase of 7% from the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Helen Knight, Nice’s director of medicines evaluation, said: “HIV remains a serious public health challenge, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections.” She added that around 1,000 people in England are currently unable to use daily oral PrEP, making the injection a vital new option.
Up to 1,000 people a year are expected to benefit from the treatment once approved.
