by Professor Emeritus Praphan Phanuphak, MD
Thai version: prevention-trcarc.org
“Congratulation”
“After I heard announcement the result of effective injectable cabotegravir to prevent HIV before exposure (PrEP) which researchers in Thailand and many countries around the world can received the result early 2 years. The result was shown that the injectable cabotegravir (2 times/month) have more effective in HIV prevent than PrEP oral pill (every day) and still have same safety result. I would like to say congratulation to all Thai researchers who working in every research units and had hard working during 3-4 years until provide the famous to Thailand. In this project, we have the Thai volunteers 12% of the world. Especially transgender women, the Prevention research units could recruit many of transgender women (1 of 5 volunteers around the world) that provide enough information to conclude the effective injectable cabotegravir have well significantly effective to transgender women without waste time to do the research in this group again.”
“In addition, we need to say thank you and appreciate to all volunteers who are men who have sex with men and transgender women that bravely to participate and still remain until ending of the project. Every volunteers should receive commend from humankind because they involved the proved of injectable cabotegravir can be the second way to prevent HIV exposure. Although, during 40 years ago, we did not have HIV vaccine but at least we have both of oral pills and injection type to prevent HIV exposure that have effective almost 100% as more choices in present. Any people who have HIV-risk can choose the way to prevent HIV exposure, following by voluntarily, aging, or different situation for example condom, PrEP oral pills, or PreP injection type.”
“Although the PrEP oral pills are effective almost 100% but now we have the PrEP injection (2 times/month) which is more effective than the oral pills. However it does not mean that will change the oral pills to injection type, it may take some time before the drugs are sold, and the price is still not cheap at first time. In addition, some people might be afraid of needles or are infrequently at-risk of HIV so they will take the oral pills when they need.”
“After the results are apparently, every volunteer in the project can choose to take PrEP in oral pills or injection type, and they will receive the desired PrEP for free until the end of the project. As a government, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has started a project to provide free PrEP to Thai people since the beginning of this year. They have to negotiate with the pharmaceutical company which produces injectable cabotegravir about the price of the injection type can be similar with the PrEP oral pills to be included in the benefit package for all Thai people as an alternative to HIV prevention.”
Additional information about HPTN 083: hptn.org
