United States – Lenacapavir is a new HIV prevention medication, and data and studies have revealed that the medication has the potential to reduce the risk of HIV infections by a whopping 96%. This was established by the drug manufacturer Gilead Sciences, which established that two doses of the drug in a year helped reduce cases of infection.
Promising Study Results
Information from this trial, known as PURPOSE 2, observed cisgender male participants, transmen, transwomen, and gender non-binary people from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and the USA who have sex with other males. Studies reveal that in a sample of 2180 respondents, only two persons got infected with HIV, as reported by The Hills.
“With such remarkable outcomes across two Phase 3 studies, lenacapavir has demonstrated the potential to transform the prevention of HIV and help to end the epidemic,” Daniel O’Day, chair and CEO of Gilead, said in a statement.
O’Day said the company would now try to gain approval for the drug from the relevant authorities.
“Now that we have a comprehensive dataset across multiple study populations, Gilead will work urgently with regulatory, government, public health, and community partners to ensure that, if approved, we can deliver twice-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP worldwide for all those who want or need PrEP.”
Despite the positive outcomes, the drug is costly.
Cost and Accessibility Concerns
The National Institutes of Health has said the two injections of the drug could amount to over $40,000 annually.
However, researchers expect similar results from the drug in other parts of the world where the treatment is limited.
“In the United States, the stubbornly high rate of HIV diagnoses — especially in the U.S. South, and particularly among gay and bisexual men of color and transgender people — demands novel approaches to help people prevent HIV acquisition,” said Colleen Kelley, a professor of medicine at Emory University and a PURPOSE 2 principal investigator.
Future Outlook
This drug has not been approved for use anywhere globally on its own, but lenacapavir has been greenlighted by the U. S. FDA to treat HIV infection in adults when used in combination with other product, as reported by The Hills.
Gilead aims to use data from PURPOSE 2 in order to initiate the process of drug approval in various countries.