ViiV Healthcare, a leading global HIV specialist firm, has announced a significant commitment to supply at least two million doses of long-acting cabotegravir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) during 2025-2026. This initiative aims to address the growing demand for HIV prevention in regions heavily burdened by the virus, where unmet medical needs are most pressing.
The announcement was made at the HIV R4P 2024 conference in Lima, Peru, which runs from 6 to 10 October. ViiV’s new commitment will effectively triple the available supply of cabotegravir compared to 2024, facilitating increased access to this innovative prevention method.
Deborah Waterhouse, Chief Executive Officer of ViiV Healthcare and President of Global Health at GSK, remarked on the importance of this development: “Today’s announcement marks another significant milestone in our efforts to accelerate access to the only long-acting PrEP available now — CAB LA — where it’s needed most. We know long-acting PrEP provides a crucial option to suit the needs and circumstances of populations disproportionately affected by HIV, including young women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
ViiV’s strategy for distributing CAB LA for PrEP in L&MICs focuses on maximising rapid access for populations with the highest unmet needs. The approach is grounded in partnership and aims to integrate CAB LA into existing healthcare services and HIV prevention programmes, thereby ensuring sustainable access.
Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved CAB LA for PrEP in December 2021 under the brand name Apretude, its rollout has been gaining momentum in Sub-Saharan Africa and other lower-income regions. Regulatory submissions have been prioritised in countries where the HIV burden is most severe, with half of the approvals granted thus far in Sub-Saharan Africa and 79% in L&MICs.
ViiV manufactures CAB LA for PrEP at a not-for-profit price for distribution in low-income and Sub-Saharan African countries, collaborating with partners such as the United States President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and The Global Fund. The rollout began in Zambia in February 2024 and has since expanded to include Malawi, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Ukraine. By the end of 2024, ViiV plans to supply CAB LA for PrEP to key partners across a total of 14 countries.
In addition to increasing availability, ViiV Healthcare is focused on expanding capacity and enhancing affordability in resource-limited settings. The company has established a licensing agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool, signed in July 2022, to facilitate the development of generic formulations of CAB LA for PrEP. ViiV is actively engaging with generic manufacturers to expedite the availability of these alternatives.
To date, Apretude has received marketing authorisation from 24 regulatory agencies, covering 53 countries. ViiV’s ongoing efforts to improve access to innovative medicines represent a vital step towards ending the HIV epidemic and ensuring that populations at risk can protect themselves against the virus effectively. For more information on the company, its management, portfolio, pipeline, and commitment, please visit viivhealthcare.com.
