Researchers at the Mulago-based Makerere University John Hopkins University (MU-JHU) research collaboration have revealed that the HIV-preventing Injection expected to be approved for use in the country soon is also safe for adolescents.
The long-acting Cabotegravir is supposed to be administered in a way that the first two injections are taken four weeks apart followed thereafter by an injection every 8 weeks.
This HIV drug, which is awaiting approval by the National Drug Authority (NDA) is taken by HIV-negative individuals who are at high risk of infection such as sex workers, discordant couples, or individuals with multiple sex partners.
MUJHU researchers told URN on Tuesday that they have done a study and found the medicine to be safe for younger people who are also among the group that has high numbers getting newly infected with the virus.
According to Dr Sheila Bamweyana, one of the researchers, they recruited sexually active adolescents in the study with the youngest participant being aged 16.
The medicine was both efficacious at preventing them from getting infected and safe for use as no serious adverse reactions were recorded during the duration.
She said while the injection was effective in preventing infection, participants in the study suffered from gonorrhea and chlamydia which shows that the adolescents are at high risk of HIV infection also.
A fellow researcher, Dr Brenda Gati says this injection could help cut the high number of girls getting infected and adds that the approval by the NDA should cover both adults and adolescents since research shows it’s safe.
The World Health Organisation has already approved this injection and issued guidelines for countries to follow while rolling out cabotegravir for general use as part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention.
In studies, the injection was found to be safe and highly effective among cisgender women, cisgender men who have sex with men, and transgender women who have sex with men in 2 randomized controlled trials, HPTN 083 and HPTN 084. Together, these landmark studies found that the use of CAB-LA resulted in a 79% relative reduction in HIV risk compared with oral PrEP, where adherence to daily oral medication was often a challenge.
At the national level, the National Drug Authority had earlier indicated that approval for the injection would be issued this month. However, Abiaz Rwamwiri, the authority’s spokesperson didn’t confirm this when contacted by URN.