Cabotegravir

Cabotegravir is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, a class of antiretroviral drug developed by ViiV Healthcare. As a long-acting injectable it is used two ways. For prevention, it is sold as Apretude, an injection given every two months for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), FDA approved in December 2021 as the first injectable PrEP. For treatment, it is paired with rilpivirine and sold as Cabenuva for people already living with HIV. The PrEP approval came from the HPTN 083 and HPTN 084 trials, where injectable cabotegravir was more effective than daily oral Truvada at preventing HIV in men who have sex with men, transgender women, and cisgender women. It is approved for people weighing at least 35 kg.