HIV prevention breakthrough: a shot every two months could replace daily pills

NCT ID NCT02720094

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This large study tested whether an injectable drug called cabotegravir, given every two months, could prevent HIV infection as well as or better than daily Truvada pills. It enrolled over 4,500 HIV-negative men and transgender women who have sex with men and are at high risk for HIV. The goal was to see if the shot is safe and effective for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

cabotegravir (injectable)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could offer a long-acting injection every two months instead of daily pills for HIV prevention.

What could go wrong

This is a completed phase 2b/3 trial, but results may not apply to all populations. Side effects like injection site reactions or kidney issues are possible.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

HIV infectious disease prevention target

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • ACSA CRS

    Iquitos, Maynas, 1, Peru

  • Adolescent & Young Adult Research at The CORE Center (AYAR at CORE)

    Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

  • Alabama CRS

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States

  • Barranco CRS

    Lima, 15063, Peru

  • Bridge HIV CRS

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

  • Bronx Prevention Research Center CRS

    The Bronx, New York, 10451, United States

  • CITBM - UNIDEC, Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales CRS

    Bellavista, Provincia Constitucional del Callao, 15081, Peru

  • CMU HIV Prevention CRS

    Chiang Mai, 50202, Thailand

  • Centro de Pesquisas Clínicas IC-HCFMUSP CRS

    São Paulo, 05403-010, Brazil

  • Centro de Referencia e Treinamento DST/AIDS CRS

    São Paulo, São Paulo, 04121-000, Brazil

  • Chapel Hill CRS

    Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States

  • Children's Hospital Colorado CRS

    Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States

  • Cincinnati Clinical Research Site

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219, United States

  • East Bay AIDS Center (EBAC) CRS

    Oakland, California, 94609, United States

  • Fenway Health (FH) CRS

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215-4302, United States

  • Fundacion Huesped CRS

    Buenos Aires, C1202ABB, Argentina

  • George Washington Univ. CRS

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20037-1894, United States

  • Greensboro CRS

    Greensboro, North Carolina, 27401, United States

  • Groote Schuur HIV CRS

    Cape Town, Western Cape, 7925, South Africa

  • Harlem Prevention Center CRS

    New York, New York, 10027, United States

  • Hospital General de Agudos JM Ramos Mejía CRS

    Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1221ADC, Argentina

  • Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao CRS

    Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91350-200, Brazil

  • Houston AIDS Research Team CRS

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • Instituto de Pesquisa Clinica Evandro Chagas (IPEC) CRS

    Rio de Janeiro, 21040-360, Brazil

  • Johns Hopkins University CRS

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States

  • New Jersey Medical School Clinical Research Center CRS

    Newark, New Jersey, 07103, United States

  • New Orleans Adolescent Trials Unit CRS

    New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, United States

  • New York Blood Center CRS

    New York, New York, 10065, United States

  • Ohio State University CRS

    Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

  • Penn Prevention CRS

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

  • San Miguel CRS

    Lima, 32 - 15088, Peru

  • Silom Community Clinic CRS

    Bangkok, Changwat Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand

  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital CRS

    Memphis, Tennessee, 38105-3678, United States

  • Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRC-ARC) CRS

    Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

  • The Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center CRS

    Decatur, Georgia, 30030, United States

  • The Ponce de Leon Center CRS

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30308-2012, United States

  • UCLA CARE Center CRS

    Los Angeles, California, 90035, United States

  • UCLA Vine Street Clinic CRS

    Los Angeles, California, 90024, United States

  • UIC Project WISH CRS

    Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

  • Via Libre CRS

    Lima, 15001, Peru

  • Washington University Therapeutics (WT) CRS

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110-1010, United States

  • Weill Cornell Chelsea CRS

    New York, New York, 10010, United States

  • Yen Hoa Health Clinic CRS

    Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam