NHS England » NHS to roll out first long-acting injection to forestall HIV

Around 1,000 individuals susceptible to HIV will probably be provided a brand new long-acting injection on the NHS if they can not have tablets to guard them from the virus.

The rollout of this preventative remedy takes NHS England one step nearer to its objective of eliminating HIV transmissions within the subsequent 5 years.

The cabotegravir injection will probably be obtainable on the NHS for individuals who can’t have pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) tablets, within the coming months, following approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence right now [17 October].

The new preventative remedy, given each two months, will probably be supplied at sexual well being clinics throughout the nation.

Around 1,000 sufferers who’re unable to have oral PrEP will profit from this new long-lasting injection.

PrEP medication can stop people who find themselves HIV-negative from buying the virus. If an individual is uncovered to it, the injection works by blocking an enzyme referred to as integrase, which HIV must make copies of itself. This stops the virus from multiplying within the physique and changing into a longtime an infection.

Today’s announcement comes because the NHS in England goals to turn into the primary nation on this planet to finish HIV transmissions by 2030.

Dr Michael Brady, National Advisor for LGBT + Health at NHS England, mentioned: “This long-acting injection is a big addition to our HIV prevention methods – giving us a strong new possibility for individuals susceptible to HIV who can’t have oral PrEP tablets, and serving to guarantee everybody who wants PrEP can entry it.

“We have made large progress in HIV therapy and prevention within the final decade, and the addition of injectable PrEP will convey us a step nearer to our objective of ending HIV transmissions by 2030″.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting mentioned: “The approval of this game-changing injection completely embodies what this authorities is set to ship – cutting-edge therapies that save lives and go away nobody behind. For weak people who find themselves unable to take different strategies of HIV prevention, this represents hope.

“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 preventative therapy is another powerful tool in our arsenal to reach that crucial goal”.

Dr Will Nutland, Executive Director of PrEPster at The Love Tank, mentioned: “Oral PrEP has been the only option for those of us using PrEP for HIV prevention until now. The introduction of injectable PrEP provides an option for people who want to use PrEP but cannot use the tablet formulations. Adding more PrEP options makes it accessible to the widest number of people”.

HIV is a virus that damages the cells within the immune system and weakens the flexibility to struggle on a regular basis infections and illness, which may end up in severe sickness and loss of life, if left untreated.

PrEP, whether or not oral or injectable, works by stopping HIV taking maintain within the physique if somebody is uncovered to the virus. It is near 100% efficient at stopping HIV transmission.

The goal of HIV therapy is to suppress the virus particles within the blood, referred to as the viral load, to ‘undetectable levels’ so low that it can’t be detected by laboratory assessments, that means it’s now not attacking the immune system and can’t be transmitted to sexual companions.

The newest 2024 HIV surveillance report from the UK Health Security Agency reveals some progress in ending HIV transmission, with new diagnoses dropping 4% nationwide – from 3,169 in 2023 to three,043 this 12 months.

The approval of this new preventative remedy on the NHS follows the enlargement of HIV testing with 30 extra A&Es testing for the virus in hospital emergency departments by the NHS Blood Borne Virus Opt-out Testing programme.

The enlargement means 89 main hospital emergency departments in England will routinely take a look at anybody who has their blood taken in cities and cities with excessive charges of HIV prevalence.

Health leaders anticipate the expanded community of A&E websites will allow as much as 1,900 extra circumstances of newly recognized HIV or beforehand recognized circumstances not linked to care to be recognized every year by the NHS.

NHS leaders are investing £27 million to assist the programme’s enlargement this 12 months, having beforehand invested £20 million to implement routine HIV choose out testing inside 34 hospital EDs in 2022.

Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, mentioned: “Injectable PrEP will probably be transformative for our HIV response. It’s extremely efficient and acceptable for sufferers, and a significant device for tackling inequalities – with the potential to succeed in those that will not be at the moment accessing different HIV prevention.

“The system must now roll it out quickly and ensure everyone understands the HIV prevention options available to them. That’s why the new HIV Action Plan for England must include action to ensure everyone can access PrEP in a way that works for them. That includes rolling out injectable PrEP and exploring the delivery of PrEP in settings outside of sexual health services”.

Julie Guest, General Manager at ViiV Healthcare UK, mentioned: “Expanding the range of HIV prevention options could help improve accessibility for individuals who cannot have daily oral PrEP, supporting national efforts to reduce HIV incidence. As the first and only long-acting PrEP option available in the UK, cabotegravir expands our portfolio and offers an alternative option to help people stay protected”.

Further data

• Cabotegravir will solely be provided to individuals who can’t have oral PrEP, for instance because of medical contraindications or problem swallowing tablets. Other examples would possibly embody individuals unable to take oral PrEP because of being homeless, dwelling in unstable housing or experiencing home violence.
• Long-acting cabotegravir for PrEP is given as an injection administered six occasions per 12 months by a healthcare skilled and is initiated with a single injection given one month aside for 2 consecutive months. After the second initiation injection, the advisable continuation injection dose is a single injection given each two months.
• Recent knowledge from UKHSA confirmed that amongst homosexual and bisexual males, new HIV diagnoses in England decreased by 6% from 859 in 2023 to 810 in 2024. Over the identical interval (between 2023 and 2024), new HIV diagnoses in England amongst Black African heterosexual males elevated by 15% (231 to 265) however decreased by 5% amongst Black African heterosexual girls (441 to 418).
• In 2024, 10.6% (146,098 of 1,379,884) of HIV detrimental individuals accessing sexual well being providers wanted PrEP of whom 76.1% (111,123) began or continued PrEP.
• PrEP initiation or continuation amongst individuals with a PrEP want was highest in White (79.4%) and ethnic minority (77.8%) homosexual and bisexual males, and decrease in Black African heterosexual girls (34.6%) and males (36.4%), and amongst different ethnic minority heterosexuals (43.9%)
• Cabotegravir is manufactured at GSK’s website in Barnard Castle, County Durham.