Symposium at AIDS 2026: Long-Acting Antiretrovirals — A Promise for Hope

About the program

Long-acting antiretrovirals (LA-ARVs), especially injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine, have shown strong efficacy across diverse populations and geographic settings, as evidenced by pivotal trials including LATTE, CARES, and ATLAS. Notably, the LATTITUDE trial demonstrated superior outcomes in individuals facing adherence challenges, highlighting the benefits for populations affected by stigma, pill fatigue, or barriers to daily dosing.

Furthermore, the HPTN 083, HPTN 084, and PURPOSE trials reinforce the potential of long-acting agents as a transformative, adherence-friendly strategy for scalable HIV prevention.

Despite these successes, implementation remains challenging. LA-ARVs require healthcare infrastructure for regular injections, cold-chain logistics, and frequent clinic visits, which may strain health systems—especially in low-resource settings. Additionally, patient selection is crucial, as missed injections can risk resistance development.

Nevertheless, the advent of LA-ARVs represents a transformative shift in HIV care, offering renewed hope. For many patients, these therapies reduce daily reminders of illness, decrease stigma, and improve quality of life. The prospect of even longer-acting formulations (e.g., every 4–6 months) further strengthens this optimism. Furthermore, use LA-ARVs as PrEP give people with high risk behaviour control over their prevention.

Crucially, LA-ARVs expand treatment choices and enable shared decision-making. Patients can now select between daily oral therapy and long-acting injections based on lifestyle, preferences, and clinical needs. This individualized approach empowers patients, improves engagement in care, and aligns HIV treatment with modern principles of patient-centered medicine.

This symposium brings these developments into focus, offering clinicians and healthcare professionals a comprehensive update on the evolving LA-ARV landscape.

Through a review of the latest clinical evidence and an exploration of real-world implementation experiences, participants will gain insights into the efficacy of LA-ARVs across diverse patient populations, for both treatment and prevention.

The program also addresses the practical challenges of integrating these therapies into clinical practice, from logistical and infrastructural considerations to supporting patient adherence over time.

Central to the program is a focus on patient-centered care. Participants will develop the skills to apply shared decision-making principles in their own practice—learning to tailor long-acting ARV options to individual patient needs, preferences, and clinical characteristics.