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Scientists have made a breakthrough in HIV prevention, as results of a clinical trial found that taking an injection once every eight weeks was more effective than taking a daily pill in preventing the virus.
In a multi-year study by researchers from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), clinical trial data found that pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP, given by injection once every eight weeks was safer and superior to daily oral administration. Intake currently used for HIV prevention among women in sub-Saharan Africa.
The trial, known as HPTN 084, was led by Wits HIV and Reproductive Health Institute (Wits RHI) research director Dr. Sinead Delany-Moretlwe.
It found that respondents were roughly nine times more likely to become infected with HIV through the oral preventive measure.
This was a breakthrough for women on the continent.
“We know that adherence to a daily pill remains a challenge, and an effective injectable as a long-acting CAB [cabotegravir injection] it is an additional HIV prevention option that is very important to them. We thank the women who volunteered for this study and the research staff, as this study would not have been possible without their commitment to HIV prevention, ”she said.
The trial enrolled 3,223 cisgender women at research sites in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe, with 57% of them under the age of 25, while the average age of the participants was 26 years.
About 82% of the participants did not live with a partner, while 55% reported having two or more partners in the past month. About 34% of them reported having a primary partner living with HIV, or their HIV status was unknown.
The trial found that 38 HIV infections occurred during follow-up, four of which used the injection and the remainder in an oral preventive trial.
But the innovative preventative measure would not be available to the public as soon as more research and development had to be completed, said Wits RHI executive director Professor Helen Rees.
“These results are a milestone for HIV prevention among at-risk women around the world and especially for women in sub-Saharan Africa. If we want to turn the tide of the HIV epidemic, we will need prevention options that work for women in sub-Saharan Africa. These findings provide great hope and motivation for further studies demonstrating safety and acceptability in adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, ”Rees said.
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