Taking action on long-acting PrEP: Towards access and implementation

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SY39

Symposium

Track E: Implementation science, economics, systems and synergies

CME accredited

Room 13b/Channel 7

26 July 12:00 - 13:00

MODERATORS

Esteban Burrone
Medicines Patent Pool, Switzerland
Chrystal Bonzo
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Zimbabwe

Several years after HPTN 083 and HPTN 084 demonstrated the superior efficacy of a long-acting PrEP agent over a daily PrEP regimen, its impact on the HIV pandemic has been hampered by challenges in supply chain, financing, clinical workflow and social/structural determinants. This session will bring together community, philanthropy, scientist, implementer and government leadership voices to discuss the efforts currently underway to improve access, the lessons that can be learnt from strategies that have attempted to improve implementation in key populations, and the actions needed to accelerate access to and scale up of long-acting PrEP. Participants will get insight into what must be done to pick up the pace of access expansion and clinical implementation.

Presentations
Rapporteur Summary

12:00 3 min	Introduction Esteban Burrone Medicines Patent Pool, Switzerland Chrystal Bonzo The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Zimbabwe

12:03 8 min	Accelerating access to long-acting PrEP: Partnerships, pitfalls and possibilities Shirley Chen Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United States

12:11 8 min	Implementation of LAI CAB among Black women in the United States: What we know and what we need Yolanda Lawson National Medical Association, United States

12:19 8 min	Opportunities and challenges related to long-acting PrEP scale up in the context of sustaining the HIV response and lessons from Zambia Adamson Ndhlovu JSI/USAID DISCOVER-Health, Zambia

12:27 8 min	Innovation models for implementation Anne-Isabelle Cameron Unitaid, Switzerland

12:35 25 min	Q&A & conclusion Esteban Burrone Medicines Patent Pool, Switzerland Chrystal Bonzo The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Zimbabwe Shirley Chen Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Yolanda Lawson National Medical Association, United States Anne-Isabelle Cameron Unitaid, Switzerland Adamson Ndhlovu JSI/USAID DISCOVER-Health, Zambia

AUTHOR

Julie Ngo

SUMMARY

This symposium focused on actions and strategies that are needed to ensure that long-acting PrEP is accessible and implemented for communities and key populations that are mostly in need of this effective tool.

HIGHLIGHTS

This session was moderated by Chrystal Bonzo from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Zimbabwe, and Esteban Burrone from Medicines Patent Pool, Switzerland. The session highlighted challenges, opportunities, actions, and strategies to access and implement CAB-LA among key populations. Shirly Chen from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, US presented strategies and actions that are needed to accelerate access to CAB-LA at global, country, local, and individual level. Access must be priority at multiple levels to drive long-acting PrEP uptake and impact. Yolanda Lawson from National Medical Association in the US described what is known and what is needed for implementation of CAB-LA among Black cisgender and transgender women in US, based on experience from the EBONI study. Adamson Ndhlovu from JSI/USAID DISCOVER-Health, Zambia presented opportunities and challenges related to long-acting PrEP scale-up in Zambia. Community engagement, demand creation, and health facility preparedness contributed significantly to successful implementation. Anne-Isabelle Cameron from Unitaid, Switzerland described innovation models that are needed for implementation of CAB-LA. Access should not be an afterthought but must be carefully planned with emphasis on innovation, quality, affordability, supply, and demand & adoption. The implementation of CAB-LA is useful to inform and accelerate access to Lenacapavir.

CRITICAL ASSESSMENT

This session highlighted how to accelerate access to CAB-LA and the different implementation challenges, possibilities, and solutions that are needed for success. Access and implementation of this effective prevention tool is key to ending the HIV epidemic. However, without global, country, local and individual level strategies, with the necessary funding and infrastructure, this very significant health benefit may not be feasible or realized.