Lenacapavir received FDA approval for HIV prevention, marking a potential breakthrough in the fight against the epidemic. Clinical trials indicate that two annual injections provide near-complete protection, which could facilitate access for those who struggle with daily medication adherence. Current preventative options like Truvada require daily ingestion, leading to lower efficacy in specific groups. Despite the promise of lenacapavir, its high annual cost could limit access, particularly in regions heavily impacted by HIV, emphasizing the need for broader strategies to ensure availability to vulnerable populations.
"It's a milestone moment in the history of HIV," says Daniel O'Day, chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences. "In our opinion, it's the best tool yet in helping end the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere."
"Even though the pills work, the Achilles heel of that strategy is that people were not adhering to taking the pills as prescribed," says Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease researcher at Yale University.
The twice-yearly injection could reach substantially more people, especially those who face stigma for taking a daily medication.
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