First-ever injectable HIV prevention drug to be produced generically

An injectable form of HIV prevention medication is set to become available in 90 low- and lower-middle income countries and across sub-Saharan African regions where more than 70 percent of new HIV infections are occurring.

Public health organization the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and  pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare have signed a licensing agreement that will enable selected manufacturers to develop, produce and supply generic versions of a long-acting, injectable version of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), called cabotegravir long-acting (LA).

This is the first and only long-acting injectable PrEP option available. Up until recently it was only available in pill form and had to be taken daily or before and after sex. The new injectable form is administered through a single intramuscular shot every two months by a trained healthcare worker.

Improving access to HIV prevention

Access to this medication will be facilitated through a strategic partnership, formed by non-profit AVAC, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), social finance company MedAccess, public health organization Unitaid, and ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company specializing in HIV infection that was created as a joint venture between Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

Sub-Saharan Africa is currently considered the epicenter of the HIV epidemic. Efforts to increase access to cabotegravir LA for PrEP here will be especially impactful for women and girls, as the HIV infection rate of adolescent girls aged 15-19 is six times that of their male peers.

Earlier this year people at risk of HIV in Brazil and South Africa were among the first to benefit from the treatment.

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, commented: “Oral PrEP took over a decade to be accessible in low- and middle-income countries. This strategic partnership and the broader coalition being formed will ensure that we leverage lessons learned from past experiences to make this promising long-acting solution for PrEP quickly available at an affordable price for everyone who could benefit from it.”

Quick links: 

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