KSH3 MILLION FOR ARVS ALTERNATIVE

People living with HIV will now face a significant annual cost for a new alternative treatment. The Cabenuva injection which is presented as an alternative to the traditional Antiretroviral drugs or ARVs will now cost patients a staggering Sh3 million per year. This has sparked concerns among patients and health advocates alike. The high cost of the Cabenuva injection could make it inaccessible to many Kenyans living with HIV.

 Priced at Ksh3 million per year, this injectable drug offers a more convenient treatment option compared to daily ARV pills, but its steep price raises questions about affordability and equity in healthcare. Cabenuva (containing cabotegravir and rilpivirine drugs) was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2021 to be administered once monthly to treat HIV-1 infection in virologically suppressed adults. The medication was the first injectable complete antiretroviral regimen approved by the FDA. Cabenuva is approved in the US, Canada, the European Union (under the brand names Vocabria and Rekambys), Australia and Switzerland among other countries.