Spain, the first European country to fund injectable PrEP against HIV

Spain has become the first country in Europe to provide public funding for injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV as part of the services provided by the National Health System (SNS). This decision, taken by the Interministerial Commission on Drug Prices (CIPM), will provide access to Apretude, a treatment based on long-acting cabotegravir, an antiretroviral intended for HIV-negative people who are at high risk of sexually acquiring the infection.
 

 A new boost in HIV prevention

Unlike oral PrEP, which requires taking pills daily, this drug is administered by intramuscular injection every two months. According to the Ministry of Health, this can make adherence to treatment easier for certain population profiles, particularly among those for whom complying with a daily regimen is more difficult.

International clinical trials have proven that long-acting cabotegravir provides high efficacy in HIV prevention, even superior to that of oral prophylaxis in some settings. The European Medicines Agency had previously authorised its sale, but Spain’s decision to fund it within the public healthcare system places the country at the forefront of Europe in prevention strategies.

The intaroduction of this preventive tool follows the recommendations of international organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, which promote expanding access to effective methods to reduce new infections. With this step, Spain bolsters its strategy against HIV, based on combined prevention, early diagnosis, antiretroviral treatment and the reduction of stigma linked to the disease.