People with HIV will soon have the option of a new long-acting injection in place of the pill to manage their condition.

The NHS drugs watchdog and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved the new treatment which has been welcomed charities across the Nation.

The long acting injection known as Cabotegravir or Vocabria and rilpivirine also called Rekambys is designed and works the same as the conventional antiretroviral drugs.

It is believed that nearly 13000 people in England could be making the switch to the new treatment option

The condition for treatment is that it is only suitable for HIV positive individuals with undetectable levels of the virus in blood.

Queen Mary University of London HIX expert, Professor Chloe Orkin said:

It would release people with HIV from the burden of daily oral therapy, and offer them instead only six treatments per year.

Dr Sanjay Bhagani, president of the European Aids Clinical Society, said:

“This is very welcome indeed.

“Stigma remains a significant issue in the HIV community, and taking tablets every day may be difficult for some people. This offers an injectable alternative for many people.

“The data and studies underpinning this recommendation are solid, and real-world experience suggests that patients that start injectable treatments prefer to stay on them.”

Alex Sparrowhawk said:

“This news is something a lot of people have been waiting for.

“The idea of having an injections six times in a year rather than taking daily medication certainly has some appeal. Remembering to take tablets each day is a constant reminder of HIV and it puts it front and centre. There is no getting away from it.

“Some people might live with other people who do not know their HIV status or have to work shifts or work in an industry that takes them around the world, making it more challenging to take daily medication.”