An “ultra” PrEP injection just three times a year could be on the way
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.The new form of the drug is called “cabotegravir ultra long-acting” (CAB-ULA).ViiV presented its findings last week at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver, Colorado.The trial included 70 participants.
Researchers tested injecting the new formulation of the drug. They tried three different strengths and tested it both as an intramuscular (muscle) injection and a subcutaneous injection.Intramuscular injections are usually deeper and need to be administered by a health professional.
Subcutaneous injections are into the fat just beneath the skin and can sometimes be self-administered at home.Some of those in the trial received the regular cabotegravir plus another drug known as a rHuPH20.
The latter allows for a bigger amount of cabotegravir to be injected at once.However, although it proved effective protection from HIV (a desirable amount of the drug was measured in the blood afterward), many of the participants suffered side effects at the sight of the injection.
