Long-acting HIV treatment and prevention: a bibliometric analysis and science mapping

Long-acting antiretroviral therapy and long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have rapidly become prominent areas of HIV research. To our knowledge, as of June 30, 2026, no previous bibliometric study had jointly mapped the long-acting HIV treatment and prevention literatures within a single Scopus-based science-mapping framework. We conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of English-language research articles and reviews indexed in Scopus, with no restriction on publication year. A total of 1573 publications met the inclusion criteria. Publication output, citation patterns, collaboration networks, conceptual structure, and thematic evolution were examined using co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and thematic-map analyses. The literature showed an annual growth rate of 32.1%, and 36.1% of publications involved international co-authorship. The United States was the leading corresponding author country, followed by several European countries. Scientific output increased rapidly, with early growth centered on cabotegravir/rilpivirine trials and more recent expansion involving lenacapavir-related research. Keyword and thematic analyses identified long-acting PrEP and cabotegravir/rilpivirine as central, well-established topics, whereas lenacapavir has emerged as a recent and increasingly central research theme. A substantial share of the most-cited literature was linked to industry-funded or industry-affiliated clinical development programs. These findings provide an integrated map of long-acting HIV treatment and prevention research and may inform future research priorities, international collaborations, and implementation research.