Fiocruz study shows injectable PrEP reduces HIV incidence

A study led by Fiocruz and published in The Lancet HIV indicates that injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) significantly improves HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence and reduces infection rates compared to oral methods.

The ImPrEP CAB Brasil study, conducted across six Brazilian capitals including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Manaus, involved 1,201 participants aged 18 to 30. The research found that participants using injectable cabotegravir achieved 90.8% coverage of prevention days, whereas those using the oral PrEP currently available through the Unified Health System (SUS) had only 35.5% coverage.

In terms of incidence, the injectable group recorded 0.20 new HIV infections per 100 people per year, while the oral PrEP cohort recorded 1.48 cases per 100 people per year. The injectable treatment, which was approved by Anvisa in November 2023, is administered every two months following initial doses. The study utilized a hybrid implementation model to evaluate both the effectiveness of the technology and its real-world functionality within the SUS framework.