The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved the first injectable drug for HIV prevention in Brazil, Cabotegravir, which will be another pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP) option, that is, continuous use of antiretroviral drugs for people with higher risk of contamination.
The authorization was given to the company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and was published in the Official Gazette on June 5th.
Currently, the drugs available to the public are pills for oral use. The main difference in relation to the new ones is in their prolonged action, with a reduction in the need for doses.
Basically, an intramuscular injection is applied in the buttocks region, with two initial doses, with an interval of four weeks between them, and then one dose every eight weeks. That is, instead of 365 annual doses, there would be only six.
According to information released by GSK in 2020, the effectiveness of the new method would be 69% greater in relation to oral and daily use drugs. In addition, it is expected that, with less frequent doses, adherence to treatment will increase for those who use this type of medication.
For more information on effectiveness, safety and who should use the PReP method, you can access the Ministry of Health website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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