IPM Welcomes Exciting Results on Injectable HIV Prevention Option for Women

November 9, 2020—IPM welcomes today’s news that an injection of the antiretroviral drug cabotegravir administered every two months was found to be well-tolerated and highly effective in reducing cisgender women’s HIV risk in the HPTN 084 trial, which was announced today by ViiV Healthcare, the HIV Prevention Trials Network and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 

The trial saw 89% fewer HIV infections among women using injectable cabotegravir compared to women using daily oral PrEP. However, daily oral PrEP was confirmed to be an effective prevention method for women, with lower HIV incidence seen in HPTN 084 than in other randomized PrEP trials among women to date.  

Women have long been left behind by progress against HIV/AIDS, particularly in areas where they face disproportionately high risk, such as sub-Saharan Africa. The results from HPTN 084 are an exciting advance for women at risk for HIV. Pending approvals, the future prevention portfolio could soon include bimonthly injectable cabotegravir and the monthly dapivirine ring in addition to daily oral PrEP and male and female condoms. Expanding women’s options so that they can choose the product that best meets their needs is essential to controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Whether women choose products that are systemic or non-systemic, bi-monthly, monthly, daily or on-demand, today’s news increases the prevention choices available to women. 

“Today’s news is cause for celebration. With daily oral PrEP being scaled up, the monthly dapivirine ring poised for introduction, and now bimonthly injectable cabotegravir as a potential new option, women’s HIV prevention is looking brighter than ever,” said Dr. Zeda F. Rosenberg, CEO of IPM, the nonprofit that developed the dapivirine ring. “We have long known that expanding the range of product choices for contraception increases their overall use. Meeting women’s diverse sexual and reproductive health needs must include offering women more HIV prevention options.”

IPM applauds all involved with HPTN 084 for their work to develop additional HIV prevention options for women—and extends gratitude especially to the women who dedicated their time to participating in the trial. 

We look forward to learning more about today’s results and understanding more about the use of long-acting HIV prevention methods among adolescent girls and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Studies of injectable cabotegravir as well as the dapivirine ring are ongoing or planned among these key groups, who face elevated risk for HIV. Injectable cabotegravir was also shown to be well-tolerated and highly effective among men who have sex with men and transgender women earlier this year in the HPTN 083 trial.

For more information, also see the releases from ViiV and NIAID. 

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About IPM: IPM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing new HIV prevention tools like the monthly dapivirine ring and other sexual and reproductive health technologies for women, and making them available in developing countries. IPM has offices in the United States, South Africa and Belgium. Please visit www.IPMglobal.org.