Findings for the HIV Prevention Trials Network study (HPTN 084) have found that an HIV prevention drug given to women as injections once every 8 weeks is safe and superior to another drug taken orally and daily for HIV prevention.

Speaking to journalists in Lilongwe on findings of the Study, Scientific Director of UNC Project-Malawi Professor Mina Hosseinipour said the findings of the study are a breakthrough as they provide more choices to women in choosing how to protect themselves from HIV infection.

“After years of evaluating HIV prevention strategies for women, I am thrilled that we have found CAB LA so effectively reduces HIV acquisition and provides women more choices in how to protect themselves,” said Professor Hosseinipour.

The HPTN 084 study was done in 20 sites in 7 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa namely: Malawi, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

In Malawi, the study was done in Lilongwe by UNC Project and in Blantyre by the John Hopkins Research Project. Lilongwe site recruited 111 participants while Blantyre site recruited 113 participants.

HPTN 084 enrolled 3, 223 cisgender women (those originally born female) in the 7 countries. The average of study participants was 26 years and 57% participants were 18-25 years old.

HPTN is a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network that brings together investigators, ethicists, community members and other partners to develop and test the safety and efficacy of interventions designed to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV.