An injection of a long-acting version of Isentress (raltegravir) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protected mice from vaginal exposures of HIV. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, researchers gave a single injection of long-acting Isentress to mice.

Two weeks after the injection, the level of Isentress in the mice’s plasma was comparable to twice-daily oral dosing of the drug in humans.

The single injection also led to strong suppression of HIV in both plasma as well as vaginal fluids. After exposing the mice vaginally to HIV one and four weeks after the injection, the researchers found that they were protected against the virus.

The researchers believe that a long-acting injectable Isentress would need to be given only every month or every few months to be effective as PrEP in preventing vaginal acquisition of the virus.

To read a press release about the study, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.