UK: First long-acting injectables to treat HIV approved by the National Institute for Health and Care (NICE)
People living with HIV in England and Wales may be eligible for injectable antiretroviral treatment every two months, rather than daily pills.
Two injectable drugs, cabotegravir and rilpivirine, were recommended for use by the UK National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) after trials proved they work as effectively as daily tablets at keeping the viral load low, according to NICE.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium has also approved the injections for adults living with HIV in Scotland.
To be eligible for cabotegravir with rilpivirine, people must already have a low and stable viral load.
Cabotegravir (also called vocabria), which is made by Viiv Healthcare, and with rilpivirine (also called Rekambys), made by Janssen, are the first long-acting antiretroviral injections available for HIV.
Both cabotegravir and rilpivirine are administered as 2 separate injections every 2 months, after an initial oral (tablet) lead-in period.
Long-acting injectable treatment is also a better option for those who have difficulty swallowing medication. Therefore, the institute’s approval provides a welcome additional treatment option for people living with HIV across England and Wales.
The United Kingdom has a relevantly small, concentrated HIV epidemic, with an estimated 101,600 people living with HIV in 2017. An estimated 13,000 people will be eligible for the injectable treatment in England
The institute’s decision brings great potential for HIV prevention including long-lasting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the future.