‘Gamechanging’ HIV prevention jab to be approved for England and Wales | Aids and HIV

A “gamechanging” injection to prevent HIV is to be approved for use in England and Wales.

The long-acting jab, administered every two months, will offer an alternative to the daily pills used to protect against the virus.

This form of HIV prevention therapy, known as Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis), is typically taken by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of infection.

In draft guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for adults and young people at risk of HIV who are unable to take oral Prep.

The injection is already available on the NHS in Scotland.

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said the approval of the injection was “gamechanging”.

“For vulnerable people who are unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, this represents hope,” he said.

“We’re making real progress on HIV, with Prep use up by 8% this year, and our ambition goes even further. England will be the first country to end HIV transmissions by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool in our arsenal to reach that crucial goal.”

The rollout is expected to begin about three months after Nice publishes its final guidance later this year.

More than 111,000 people accessed Prep in sexual health clinics in England in 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a 7% increase over the previous year.

Helen Knight, the 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 have daily oral Prep due to medical contraindications or other barriers which is why this injection offers an effective option for this community,” she said.

Up to 1,000 people are expected to benefit from the new treatment in England a year, according to Nice.