Exercise no. 319 Cabotegravir (Apretude°) in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

As of 2024, the standard drug-based treatment for the prevention of HIV infection (pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP) is the combination of emtricitabine + tenofovir disoproxil, taken orally once a day. Its efficacy is closely correlated with adherence to the recommended dosage. Cabotegravir is an HIV integrase inhibitor. It was already authorised in the European Union under the brand name Vocabria° for use in combination with rilpivirine in HIV-infected patients, and it is now also authorised as monotherapy for the prevention of HIV infection, but under a new brand name, Apretude°. After possibly starting with daily oral treatment for one month, cabotegravir is administered by intramuscular injection, with the first two injections given 1 month apart, followed by one injection every 2 months.