A milestone was reached in the fight against HIV/AIDS with the development of Lenacapavir, a new injectable drug that demonstrated a 96% reduction in infection risk. The prestigious journal Science recognized Lenacapavir as the 'Discovery of the Year' for 2024 due to its contributions to HIV treatment and prevention. "The development of Lenacapavir makes a big difference in HIV prevention efforts," stated Science.
In the third phase of a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of 2,179 participants who received Lenacapavir injections, only two became infected with HIV, compared to nine new infections in the control group of 1,086 participants who received the daily oral PrEP medication Truvada.
"It's incredible to see such a high level of effectiveness—almost 100%—in injectable drugs that people need to receive only once every six months," said Dr. Colleen Kelley, the lead author of the study, according to El Tiempo. She noted that Lenacapavir could be a game-changer for individuals who are unable to adhere to daily oral medication regimens.
However, the global success of Lenacapavir depends on factors such as economic affordability, production agreements, and strong health infrastructures to support its implementation and accessibility. For Lenacapavir to be used on a large scale, it must be affordable, as its current prohibitive cost poses a barrier to widespread use, especially in poorer countries, according to iefimerida.
Gilead, the manufacturer of Lenacapavir, announced a voluntary licensing agreement with several generic drug manufacturers to produce and supply generic versions of Lenacapavir in 120 developing countries, aiming to ensure access in high-incidence, resource-limited areas, according to El Mundo. Despite this effort, middle-income countries such as Brazil and much of Latin America were excluded from the agreement, meaning they will need to negotiate and purchase doses directly from the patent-holding pharmaceutical company.
"Gilead's agreement is not enough because it continues to exclude millions of vulnerable and more at-risk people, particularly in middle-income countries," stated UNAIDS's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, as reported by Terra.
Lenacapavir is already sold under the commercial name Sunlenca for the treatment of HIV infection in the US, Canada, Europe, and Israel. In Israel, Lenacapavir is currently available only to patients with severe AIDS after all other treatments have failed.
While Lenacapavir is not a classical vaccine, experts hope that future developments will lead to a vaccine that produces antibodies to the virus.
The development of Lenacapavir marks an advance in HIV prevention efforts, offering hope for improved healthcare access for marginalized groups. "The potential of Lenacapavir to dramatically reduce infections in high-risk groups is very important," stated Science, according to Munhwa. Advocacy groups view Lenacapavir as a potential game-changer in HIV prevention, with its recent results considered among the most important seen to date for any HIV prevention option, according to Terra.
Despite decades of advancements, HIV continues to infect more than one million people annually, demonstrating the ongoing global impact of the virus. Proto Thema reported that efforts to make Lenacapavir widely available are crucial in addressing this public health challenge. The drug's ability to provide long-lasting protection with just two injections per year could improve adherence rates and reduce new HIV infections globally.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq