LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Doctors in Louisville are praising a newly FDA-approved drug. It’s called Apretude and is the first-ever long-acting injectable drug to prevent HIV.
Louisville reported 126 new HIV cases back in August, 24 of which were diagnosed in May alone. It also reported the average number of cases has been 144 for the past three years.
With this apparent increase in cases, WHAS11 spoke to Louisville doctors who said this is a huge breakthrough.
"The medication is a definite game-changer,” Dr. Mark Burns, infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at U of L Health said.
Burns said the drug can improve effectiveness because people can easily forget to take daily pills - which is one popular HIV-prevention method.
Dr. Paul Schulz, epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention, with Norton Healthcare agrees, and adds it can help lower the stigma people may feel about taking the pills in public.
"These injectables can allow people to overcome that barrier and allow people can come to an office and allow people to get their infusion without anyone knowing where they're going, why they're going or what they’re going for,” Schulz said.
He also said the need for the shot every two months can also lead to better healthcare because doctors and patients can interact face-to-face.
Burns remembers a time when effective HIV treatment and prevention were not reality.
"It was actually considered a death sentence,” Burns said. “The medications that eventually evolved initially, they weren't very good."
Despite the promise the new drug will bring, Schulz said organizations have to get more people in the door to get screened.
"You gotta get out there, find the folks who are at risk and get them linked into care and that's when it gets difficult,” Schulz said.
According to data from Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family services, new cases have fluctuated over the years. Its latest data from 2019 shows a significant drop.
However, more recent data may show an increase. Louisville reported an increase in cases for 2021, and Norton Healthcare says it's seen a 21-percent increase in cases since 2019.
For more information about HIV treatment and prevention, click here.
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