Preventive Services Recommendation May Not Increase Injectable PrEP Access

A federal panel of medical experts on Aug. 22 recommended that pre-exposure prophylaxis be prescribed to people at increased risk of HIV infection, and included long-lasting, physician-administered injectable forms of PrEP in its guidance. However, a leading vaccine expert says the decision by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is unlikely to increase access to PrEP, especially given an ongoing conservative-led legal battle that threatens to overturn the preventive services mandate included in the Affordable Care Act.

USPSTF granted PrEP an “A” grade, its highest rating. In the rating, USPSTF experts “recommend[ed] that healthcare professionals prescribe PrEP to people at increased risk for HIV to help prevent HIV.” Notably, the new rating mentions injectable PrEP, Apretude (cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension), which had not been included in USPSTF PrEP recommendations before. In a 2019 PrEP endorsement, the task force only mentioned oral PrEP.