Kenyan women to receive world's first injection to stop HIV

 

Kenyan women who took part in a study to test a long-acting injection to prevent HIV will become the first beneficiaries of the jab.

The injection, administered once in two months, was hugely successful, and found to be 89 per cent efficient compared to pills to prevent infection. 

The World Health Organization said the rest of the public will have to wait for more than a year.

The injection contains a specially formulated drug called Cabotegravir.

"Participants who were in the TDF/FTC (the daily oral pills currently used for HIV prevention) arm will be offered cabotegravir long acting (CAB LA) and participants in the CAB LA arm will be able to continue to receive it," WHO said in a statement

The trial launched in 2017 enrolled 3,223 women aged between 18 and 45 years who were at higher risk of HIV infection in 20 sites across seven countries including Kenya.

Other countries that participated in the trial were Uganda, South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Eswatini.

The study results announced early in November said cabotegravir injection is hugely effective when administered once every eight weeks.

WHO now says despite the uplifting results, it is also important to temper expectations because there are still some important safety and implementation issues to address.

"It is likely to be more than a year before CAB LA will be more widely available. However, now that these results showing its effectiveness in women are available, alongside the results for men who have sex with men and transgender women, plans for regulatory approval will move forward," WHO said.

The injection, which must be administered by a professional, will be an addition to the current options available to prevent HIV. 

For instance, the Dapivirie ring, in July received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency for its use among women aged 18 and older in developing countries to prevent the spread of HIV.

The ring is placed in the vagina where it slowly releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine over 28 days.

“The Dapivirine Ring is a discreet tool that women use to take care of their own health by preventing HIV infection” Dr Nelly Mugo, an obstetrician, gynaecologist and a principal research scientist, said in Nairobi.

With consistent use, it is estimated that the vaginal ring can stop at least 60 per cent of HIV infections via vaginal sex.

“In Kenya, 275 young women and girls are getting infected with HIV every week and the Dapivirine ring should contribute to the reduction of these new infections especially for young girls aged above 18,” Joyce Ouma, an AVAC fellow, told reporters.