On 23 September, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave cabotegravir priority review status. This means the drug will undergo a review period of six months as opposed to the usual 10.
Cabotegravir, commercially known as Cabenuva, is a long-acting version of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and is made by ViiV Healthcare.
If approved, the drug would make history by becoming the first of its kind on the market. Unlike oral PrEP, which is typically taken once a day, patients would receive a monthly injection to prevent the contraction of HIV.
According to Fierce Pharma, late-stage clinical trials of men who have sex with men, cisgender women and transgender women have boosted “optimism” for the drug’s success.