Long-acting technologies

No daily pills

Many people struggle with daily medicines or large numbers of pills and prefer alternative treatment methods.

Added choice

Expanded options mean people can chose the medicine delivery method that suits them.

Child-friendly

Pills are particularly difficult for young children and treatment is less effective when doses are incomplete or missed.

Improves adherence

For people who struggle with pills, these formulations can lower risk of missed doses or incomplete treatment, helping more people get quality care.

What are long-acting technologies?

Long-acting technologies are medicine formulations that slowly release the drug over weeks, months, or even longer. Many of the available long-acting medicines are delivered via injection but other delivery methods such as skin patches, implants or vaginal rings exist too.

How can these medicine formulations help improve care?

Medicine efficacy can be compromised if treatment is incomplete or inconsistent. Long-acting technologies can improve adherence and therefore, clinical outcomes, helping reduce death, lower disease transmission, and prevent drug resistance. The additional choice of long-acting options can also help treatment uptake, particularly for people who may live far from health centers or find it difficult to take or remember daily medicines, as more people find a treatment method that works for them. Children, who struggle to swallow oral tablets, could also benefit from child-friendly, long-acting medicine delivery options.

What are some examples of the long-acting technologies Unitaid is supporting?

We are funding early-stage development of long-acting medicines that, if successful, could expand treatment options for hepatitis C and HIV and simplify tuberculosis and malaria prevention. We are also working to accelerate access to existing long-acting medicines that prevent HIV and reduce opioid cravings to help curb transmission of hepatitis C and HIV.

Our work in long-acting technologies

We are supporting the development of long-acting medicines for HIV, hepatitis C, malaria and tuberculosis, while helping people gain access to existing long-acting therapies.