The World Health Organization has recommended a revolutionary twice-yearly HIV prevention injection called lenacapavir, marking a significant advancement in global HIV prevention strategies. This breakthrough offers an alternative to daily oral medications, potentially improving adherence for high-risk populations. The FDA recently approved the injection, which can prevent almost all HIV infections in clinical trials. Despite promising results, the high annual cost of $28,218 per person may pose challenges to widespread implementation.
"We have the tools and the
knowledge to end AIDS as a public health problem" - Dr. Meg Doherty, WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO)
on Monday recommended countries to use the twice-a-year lenacapavir injection
as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for global HIV
prevention.
Key Points
1 WHO
endorses groundbreaking twice-yearly HIV prevention injection
2 FDA
recently approved lenacapavir for global use
3 Two annual
doses offer alternative to daily medication
4 High cost
of $28,218 per year potentially limits widespread adoption
The landmark policy action, aiming to
reshape the global HIV response, was issued at the 13th International AIDS
Society Conference (IAS 2025) on HIV Science, in Kigali, Rwanda.
Lenacapavir -- the first twice-yearly
injectable PrEP product -- offers a highly effective, long-acting alternative
to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options.
With just two doses per year,
lenacapavir is a transformative step forward in protecting people at risk of
HIV -- particularly those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma, or
access to health care. Lenacapavir was approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) a month ago.
"While an HIV vaccine remains
elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown
in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk," said
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
The WHO recommendation comes amid
funding cuts to HIV treatment and prevention that threaten to unravel decades
of progress made to fight the deadly condition.
The US, the largest contributor to
global HIV funding, halted all assistance on January 20, following the
swearing-in of the new US President Donald Trump.
A recent UNAIDS report cautioned that
a permanent discontinuation of support from the US President's Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could lead to more than four million additional
AIDS-related deaths and six million additional new HIV infections by 2029.
"The launch of WHO's new
guidelines, alongside the FDA's recent approval, marks a critical step forward
in expanding access to this powerful tool," Ghebreyesus said.
Marketed under the brand name
Yeztugo, the world's first twice-yearly HIV prevention shot that can
potentially, transform pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options. The drug may be
particularly crucial for those who struggle with daily medication adherence due
to stigma, access issues, or lifestyle factors.
However, the high cost -- at $28,218 per
person per year -- is likely to act as a deterrent to global HIV prevention
goals.
The WHO chief noted that the global
health body "is committed to working with countries and partners to ensure
this innovation reaches communities as quickly and safely as possible".
The WHO has also urged governments,
donors, and global health partners to begin rolling out lenacapavir immediately
within national combination HIV prevention programmes -- while collecting
essential data on uptake, adherence, and real-world impact.
"We have the tools and the
knowledge to end AIDS as a public health problem," said Dr Meg Doherty,
Director of WHO's Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes.
"What we need now is bold implementation of these recommendations, grounded
in equity and powered by communities."
No comments:
Post a Comment