Let's put it all behind us...
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 2:39 pm
‘No new HIV cases by 2030’: England hopes to become first country in the world to defeat virus
The NHS believes it will prevent all new cases of HIV by 2030 after signing a series of deals to ensure new medicines are available across England to end regional disparities.
People with HIV have access to injectable forms of cabotegravir and rilpivirine, and those with drug-resistant infections will be able to receive fostemsavir after it was approved last week.
The new treatments will be available across England for around 148,000 people, ending uncertainty for people with HIV in regions where they have not always been confident they will receive the best treatments.
Cabotegravir , which is always used in combination with rilpivirine, was approved for use in January, and only needs to be injected every two months, unlike pills which need to be taken every day and can lose effectiveness permanently if doses are missed.
The aim of HIV treatment is to keep the number of virus particles in the blood, known as the viral load, so low that it cannot be detected or transmitted between people.
The effectiveness of these HIV drugs means that there is zero risk that anyone taking treatment consistently can transmit HIV, which NHS England said will help it become the first healthcare system in the world to reach zero new cases of the virus.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “We now have a genuine chance of achieving no new HIV infections, thanks to the unparalleled efforts of NHS staff and our ability to get effective drugs into the hands of the people who stand to benefit.” He said the NHS had proved it could strike deals with drugs companies that offered “world-leading care at a price that offers the best value for taxpayers”.