Over the last two decades, HIV has been transformed from a death sentence into a chronic, treatable disease, requiring just a single pill a day to keep the virus at bay for most people.

A study co–authored by Dr. Jonathan Angel has now paved the way for another treatment option: a single injection every eight weeks.

Published in The Lancet journal, the study showed that injection of long–lasting forms of cabotegravir and rilpivirine every four or eight weeks could suppress viral replication just as well as a daily pill.

The trial involved nearly 300 patients across 50 sites in five countries. Many patients at The Ottawa Hospital contributed to and benefited from this research, and many more could benefit if the drug is approved.