Long-Acting HIV Injections Beat Daily Pills in Adolescent Trial
A randomized trial in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe enrolled 476 adolescents living with HIV and compared daily tablets with injections of cabotegravir and rilpivirine every eight weeks. After 96 weeks, confirmed viral rebound occurred in 1% of the injection group and 6% of the daily-pill group. The results suggest long-acting injectable treatment may improve viral suppression for adolescents, who often face adherence challenges.
The LATA study followed 476 adolescents, ages 12–19, at five sites across Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Every participant had already used oral antiretroviral therapy for over a year, had undetectable virus, and no earlier treatment failure; nearly all had been infected at birth.
They were assigned either standard daily pills or shots of cabotegravir plus rilpivirine every eight weeks. By week 96, viral rebound was confirmed in 1% of injected-treatment recipients versus 6% of pill takers. In the injection arm, 94% called the two-monthly shots much easier than daily medication. The Lancet published the results.
If injectable regimens become more available, adolescents living with HIV—especially in Africa, where most reside—may find treatment easier to sustain, potentially reducing viral rebound and transmission risks. Families and clinics could face logistical questions around injection visits, storage, and cost. The trial's preference findings may encourage providers to consider options beyond daily pills, though access barriers and health-system capacity could shape whether benefits reach those who need them.