FDA approves injection to prevent HIV


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved world’s first injection drug for reducing the risk of acquiring HIV on 20th December, 2021.

Key Points
• The first injection drug in question is Apretude. Its generic name is “cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension”.

• Apretude provides an alternative to daily pills for reducing the risk of acquiring HIV, like Truvada and Descovy. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDS), these pills are effective up to 99% at preventing the sexual transmission of HIV. However, they must be taken every day to be effective.

• Apretude (cabotegravir) is first given as two injections one month apart. Following this, one shot is given every two months after that.

• This injection will be critical in addressing the HIV epidemic in the U.S. It will also help high-risk individuals and certain groups where daily medication is a major challenge or not a realistic option.

With Apretude, people can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV with as few as six injections a year.

Oral formulation ‘Vocabria’
HIV patients will be given to take an oral formulation of cabotegravir, known as Vocabria, daily for four weeks before starting the injections, in order to see how well they tolerate this drug. Patients are required to be tested for HIV and confirmed negative before starting Apretude. They are also required to be confirmed negative before each injection in order to avoid the risk of developing drug-resistant HIV.

Price of the Apretude
Apretude has a list price of $3,700 per dose. It is expected to ship to wholesalers and specialty distributors in the U.S. in 2022.


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