ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), with Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi as shareholders, is pleased to announce that APRETUDE (cabotegravir tablets and extended release injectable suspension) is now covered under the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in at risk individuals who are HIV-1 negative.1

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program provides eligible First Nations and Inuit people with coverage for a range of health benefits that are not otherwise covered through private, provincial, or territorial health insurance plans or social programs.2 In Canada approximately 10 per cent of all people living with HIV are Indigenous3, despite making up just five per cent of the country's population.4 Economic, social and systemic barriers, along with the lasting effects of racism and colonialism, all contribute to the disproportionate burden of HIV experienced by Indigenous people.5

The decision to reimburse APRETUDE through the NIHB Program will have a meaningful impact on HIV prevention efforts for eligible First Nations and Inuit people who are at-risk of HIV and could benefit from PrEP.