Early results from implementation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with long-acting injectable cabotegravir for people with barriers to oral strategies, Italy, December 2024 to August 2025
Davide Moschese, Rozenn Esvan, Chiara Fusetti, V Barchi, Maria Vittoria Cossu, Alessandro Giacinta, Samuel Lazzarin, Giulia Terracini, Francesco Caruso, Giulia Micheli, D Maddalena, Giulia Del Duca, Francesco Petri, G. Del Frate, Maddalena Matone, Damiano Farinacci, Andrea Giacomelli, Paolo Faccendini, Debora Visigalli, Sara Passacantilli, Agostino Riva, Andrea Antinori, Andrea Gori, Valentina Mazzotta
Abstract
Between December 2024 and August 2025, two Italian HIV/STI clinics offered long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for HIV prevention in 265 individuals, representing the first European real-world implementation. Participants were prioritised based on vulnerabilities compromising oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), such as poor adherence, comorbidities and behavioural barriers. Adherence to injections exceeded 95%, tolerability was favourable and only 1.5% discontinued for drug-related reasons. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of CAB-LA in European clinical services and support its use in specific populations.