A long-acting injection to prevent HIV is set to be approved for use in England and Wales, offering a major new alternative to daily oral medication.
The treatment, known as cabotegravir (CAB-LA), is a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that can prevent HIV infection in people who are HIV-negative but at higher risk. Unlike daily PrEP pills, the injection is given once every two months.
In draft guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended CAB-LA for adults and young people who cannot take oral PrEP. The jab is already available on the NHS in Scotland.
Health secretary Wes Streeting called the approval “gamechanging,” saying it would offer “hope” to those unable to use existing prevention methods. “England will be the first country to end HIV transmissions by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool to reach that goal,” he said.
The rollout is expected to begin around three months after NICE releases its final guidance later this year.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, more than 111,000 people accessed PrEP in England in 2024, up 7% from the previous year. NICE estimates that about 1,000 people annually will benefit from the new injection, which offers an effective option for those with medical or practical barriers to daily pills.
“HIV remains a serious public health challenge, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections,” said Helen Knight, NICE’s director of medicines evaluation.
