In most studies of PrEP, people get infected when they are not taking the medicine and the drug levels in the blood are not adequate to protect against the virus. This is one reason why the injectable may provide better protection because people don’t have to worry about taking daily doses. But they do have to go in and receive the injection every two months and if they miss their clinic visit, they may not have adequate levels of Cabotegravir for protection. The studies in African women are ongoing in East and Southern Africa. Hopefully, those results will be as encouraging when they come out. Stay tuned!
Long-acting Medications for HIV Treatment and Prevention
Dr. Keith Crawford has over 25 years of experience in treatment of chronic infectious diseases, clinical and translational research. While a professor of pharmacology at Howard University College of Medicine, he worked in two HIV-specialty clinics. He did clinical research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine through the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the largest global network for HIV research. He headed the research division of the PEPFAR program (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) under the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), directing research and clinical care in HIV infection, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases, in four African countries. He is currently in the Division of AIDS, Therapeutic Research Program of the National Institutes of Health. His articles on blackdoctor.org reflect his own professional views and are not official statements or positions from this agency.
He is currently with the Division of AIDS at the National Institutes of Health. He has over 25 years of experience in HIV treatment and clinical research. This article reflects his personal views and opinions.