On this World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), there may be some positive news to report. Excellent trial results have been shown for a novel injection that stops the spread of HIV. But there are still certain barriers in the way of its further implementation in South Africa.
With more than seven million HIV-positive individuals, South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV infection worldwide.
Even though the nation has made great progress in treating HIV/AIDS, with millions of individuals taking antiretroviral drugs, U.N. data indicates that there were still over 160,000 new infections in 2017.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a novel injectable medication that provides protection for individuals who are at high risk of contracting an infection. The injection is only administered every two months, in contrast to the currently available oral PrEP, which needs to be taken every day.
According to Linda-Gail Bekker, CEO of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, an investigation on injectable PrEP use among African women revealed an 89% decrease in HIV infections among users in comparison to oral PrEP users.
Because it places the power of prevention in the hands of the user, it could be a game-changer for women who are at risk of catching HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Young ladies are able to handle it tactfully and without involving their boyfriend.
“The ability of injectable PrEP to protect women against HIV acquisition was revealed to be significantly superior when compared to oral PrEP. These long-acting, less frequently dosed medications are highly exciting for individuals who find it difficult to take their medication on a regular basis, according to Bekker.
The medication known as cabotegravir long-acting, or CAB LA, is authorised for usage in South Africa. Despite being widely accessible in Europe and the US, the injectable is nevertheless expensive—shots are said to cost several thousand dollars.
“There are two issues with access, first being the manufacturing capacity, and the second being the product’s affordability—we think the price needs to drop significantly for the majority of low- and middle-income countries to be able to buy it,” Bekker added.
Luckily, the firm making it has licenced the drug to the Medicine Patents Pool, a public health organisation supported by the United Nations, and has licenced three other companies to make generic copies of the medication.
One of the first experiments in South Africa involved Thuli, a transgender woman living in Cape Town who wished to remain anonymous. Participants in that trial can still access it.
The injection, she claimed, was preferable than the tablet.
“I adore everything about me. I think the CAB-LA is beneficial to me and it has been doing incredibly well. Thuli remarked, “I feel like taking the tablets alone is a lot of labour for me because I also take the hormones.
The US is collaborating with the South African government to implement CAB-LA, according to Dr. John Nkengasong, the country’s global AIDS coordinator, who spoke with VOA.
“The long-acting PrEP injectables are just one example of the new tools that innovation and science are bringing to the market, and we find ourselves at an important point in the fight against HIV,” Nkengasong stated.
Several pilot programmes were scheduled to launch this year after the drug’s approval for use in South Africa and the completion of initial trials.
These were postponed, but according to Bekker, they should start in early 2024.
