The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday that it has approved the world's first injectable medicine which could be beneficial in reducing the chances of acquiring HIV. 

FDA said that the injectable drug is named Apretude  and is generically called  "cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension." It has been said that the drug can be an alternative to daily pill medications. Currently, pills such as Truvada and Descovy, are used to prevent the transmission of HIV and are about 99% effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, but must be taken every day to be that effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On contrary, two shots of the Apretude should be taken initially spaced one month apart, and hence the shots can be taken every two months thereafter, FDA said in its statement.

"This injection, given every two months, will be critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the US, including helping high-risk individuals and certain groups where adherence to daily medication has been a major challenge or not a realistic option," Dr. Debra Birnkrant, director of the Division of Antivirals in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the statement. 

According to the statement, the FDA anticipates that the availability of a long-acting injectable medicine for HIV prevention will enhance the uptake of such drugs in high-risk groups.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or HIV prevention drugs, is prescribed for roughly 1.2 million persons in the United States, with about 25% of those receiving a prescription for PrEP pills in 2020. This is up from only 3% in 2015, but "substantial space for improvement" remains, according to the statement.

Apretude appears to minimize the risk of HIV infection more effectively than the daily medication Truvada, per the results of two clinical trials.

Apretude appears to minimize the risk of HIV infection more effectively than the daily medication Truvada, per the results of two clinical trials. The trials were randomized and double-blind, which means that those who received the actual drug were chosen at random and neither the doctors nor the patients knew who was receiving the real treatment over the placebo.