The National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE) has released a draft recommending two anti retroviral drugs (cabotegravir and Rilpivirine) in England and Wales after trials proved they work as effective as daily tablets.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium has also approved the injections for adults living with HIV in Scotland.
Although HIV, which attacks the immune system, is still incurable, researchers found that patients who had the new treatment could reach a point where the virus particles in their blood (the viral load) were so low those particles could not be detected or transmitted between people.
“We still have a long way to go in educating individuals around HIV, but today’s announcement demonstrates how far we’ve come since the 1980s epidemic,” Brough of Positively UK (Garry). “It is a huge step forward. Having to take tablets every day can be physically, emotionally and socially burdensome for some people. This decision reflects the rightful need for people living with HIV to have the freedom to manage their HIV in a way that works best for them, helping them to live their life to the full.”
The reveal has made many excited as there seek to be hope for those living with HIV.
Read more from the Guardian.
