WORLD AIDS DAY 2020
HIV Prevention Shot Beats PrEP Among Cis Women
Research shows injection every other month is 89 percent more effective than Truvada
BY MATT TRACY
An HIV prevention shot
administered once every
other month is
yielding more promising
results among cisgender women
in a clinical trial than PrEP pills,
raising the possibility that the injection
could eventually serve as
an alternative to the rigorous daily
regimen required for oral HIV prevention
medication.
The trial, spearheaded by a
global clinical network known as
the HIV Prevention Trials Network
(HPTN) and funded by the National
Institutes of Health, the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation,
and ViiV Healthcare, compared
the shot, which contains a drug
called cabotegravir, with Truvada,
the HIV prevention drug ingested
orally.
Researchers ended their trial
early after an independent monitoring
board acknowledged encouraging
results: The shot,
manufactured by ViiV Healthcare,
was found to be 89 percent more
effective than Truvada. The news
was fi rst reported in The New York
Times and additional information
was provided in an announcement
by HPTN on November 9.
The trial was conducted across
➤ HIV TESTING IN COVID ERA, from p.8
COVID cases.
She added, “This is, I think,
highlighting why it is even more
important than ever to continue
our HIV screening efforts.”
The written study, published
in May and covering the university
ER experience in the earliest
COVID phase through April 18,
reported six HIV infections identifi
ed in the COVID testing area —
including two acute cases.
Most of those infected were
young African Americans, three of
them men who have sex with men,
two cisgender heterosexual women,
and one man who is an injection
drug user. Five of the six were
quickly put on treatment to bring
Compared to PrEP for daily use, a shot given once every other month is showing even more promising
results in preventing HIV, at least among cisgender women.
20 locations and included women
in Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya,
Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and
Zimbabwe. Thirty-four women taking
Truvada wound up testing positive
for HIV, while just four women
taking the shots contracted HIV,
and two of those individuals had
stopped receiving injections.
On average, participants were
down their viral loads, while the
sixth had not reported back to the
ER, as of the time of publication,
for their follow-up visit.
According to the university investigators,
“There should be no
reduction in this important effort,
even with the obstacles posed by
COVID-19. While there are many
obvious challenges to emergency
rooms during the pandemic, there
are also possible opportunities
to reach patients who otherwise
would not have sought care.”
The study also noted the fact
that many other HIV testing venues
were shuttered during the
pandemic making the university
ER all the more important as a location
for identifying new HIV infections.
REUTERS/ INA FASSBENDER
26 years old, with more than half
being 25 years or younger. Eightytwo
percent were not living with
a partner, 55 percent had at least
two sexual partners in the previous
month, and more than onethird
had a primary partner who
was living with HIV or did not
know their status.
Notably, the shots would likely
The conclusion from the University
of Chicago investigators is that
the ER’s model should be adopted
around the nation — and with the
tragic resurgence of COVID in recent
weeks, that message couldn’t
be timelier.
Last month, Amida Care, in
partnership with Gay City News,
hosted a webinar about the impact
of the COVID pandemic on New
York’s Plan to End AIDS. At the
same time, Amida Care — whose
Medicaid managed care plans deliver
customized solutions for people
living with HIV/AIDS as well
as specifi c populations placed at
higher risk for acquiring HIV, including
people of transgender experience
and those who are homeless
— published a briefi ng paper
go a long way toward boosting adherence
to HIV prevention medication.
“We know that adherence to
a daily pill continues to be challenging,
and an effective injectable
product such as long-acting CAB
is a very important additional HIV
prevention option for them,” Dr. Sinéad
Delany-Moretlwe, the trial’s
protocol chair, said in a written
statement. “We are grateful to 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.”
The results represents a muchneeded
step forward in research
surrounding HIV prevention medication
among cisgender women,
especially considering that girls
and women represent about half
of new HIV infections globally. As
it stands, cisgender women are
limited to taking Truvada, while
men and transgender women have
already been cleared to take Descovy
as an alternative. Research
surrounding HIV prevention medication
for non-binary individuals
and transgender men is also lacking.
HPTN also found success study-
➤ ANTI-HIV INJECCTIONS, continued on p.27
on that subject.
The briefi ng paper drew particular
attention to the lessons from
the emergency room efforts at the
University of Chicago, and Doug
Wirth, the agency’s president and
CEO, found the Chicago example
critically important.
“Integrating routine HIV screening
into emergency departments
and other health care settings is
critical to diagnosing newly transmitted
HIV,” Wirth said in a written
statement. “This is especially
important given the heightened
risk of transmission of acute HIV.
In order to maintain the momentum
toward our Ending the HIV/
AIDS Epidemic goal here in New
York, we need to implement best
practices such as these.”
November 26 - December 2,16 2020 | GayCityNews.com
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