Development of a new HIV-prevention drug implant will start soon

Currently PrEP drugs are available only in the form of a pill that, if taken daily, can dramatically reduce a chance of being infected with HIV. But this can soon change. Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company Intarcia Therapeutics, is moving forward with plans to market a subcutaneous device that would deliver a daily dose of the anti-retroviral medicine.The Gates Foundation has invested USD 140 million in the development of this device which might revolutionize HIV prevention around the world.

This device takes the form of a pump that was initially designed for type two diabetes patients. It works by continuously delivering medication throughout the body. The pump is reportedly capable of administering drugs throughout the body for as long as 12 months. It could also be easily filled by a clinician annually or bi-annually and researchers believe that the pump could work similarly, for HIV prevention.