End Of HIV Epidemic? Groundbreaking New Drug To Be Rolled Out From 2027 At An Affordable Price; Details Inside

It

seems like we have finally have a cure for HIV! In what comes as a groundbreaking development in the battle against HIV, a new injectable drug called lenacapavir, is all set to revolutionize the prevention efforts. According to reports, the drug will be rolled out as early as the end of this year."A new partnership announced today between the Gates Foundation and Indian manufacturer Hetero Labs (Hetero) - supported by upfront funding and volume guarantees - will enable the company to manufacture generic lenacapavir at roughly $40 per patient per year, a price point designed to make the breakthrough treatment affordable for national health systems," the statement read.

What Is Lenacapavir?

Lenacapavir is a long-acting injectable antiretroviral drug developed by Gilead Sciences. It is administered just twice a year and has demonstrated over 99.9% effectiveness in preventing HIV transmission. The drug was approved by US FDA in June this year, under the brand name Yeztugo. "This is a historic day in the decades-long fight against HIV. Yeztugo is one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of our time and offers a very real opportunity to help end the HIV epidemic," said Denial O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead Sciences, as he introduced the drug.Even though HIV prevention drugs – also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis – have existed for many years, their global impact has been limited due to the need for daily pill intake, a routine many patients struggle to follow consistently.Reports suggest that two clinical trials were conducted for the drug – with the first involving more than 2,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in a 100 per cent reduction in infections and demonstrating superiority over the daily oral pill Truvada. In the second trial – which involved over 2,000 men and gender-diverse individuals – only two infections were recorded – a 99.9 per cent prevention rate, again surpassing Truvada.