Long-acting HIV injections show strong results in South African youth at 48 weeks

A new study out of Cape Town is making a strong case for long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) in young people living with HIV. In a single-arm trial of 134 participants aged 12–24, those who switched to bimonthly injections of cabotegravir and rilpivirine maintained high rates of viral suppression through 48 weeks — regardless of their treatment history.

What's especially notable: 100% of participants who reached week 48 chose to continue the injections, signaling strong acceptability among a demographic that has historically struggled with daily pill adherence and staying engaged in care.

By the Numbers:

• 95.5% of participants had a viral load < 50 copies/mL at week 48
• 0 confirmed cases of virologic failure
• 97.5% of injections were administered on schedule (within 7 days of target date)
• 98.5% of participants attended the week 48 visit
• Injection site reactions were reported by 100 participants, but all were mild or moderate

Why it matters: Young people living with HIV are among the hardest to retain in treatment programs. LAI-ART's bimonthly dosing removes the daily pill burden, and these results suggest it could meaningfully improve outcomes in high-burden settings like South Africa.