Could this new HIV drug end AIDS?

HIV has been a scourge all around the world for decades. While amazing advancements have been made in its prevention and treatment, it still affects millions of people all around the world and can lead to many negative health outcomes.

But there is hope that a new medication can help many people who are living with this permanent condition.

HIV can be treated effectively with the right care. But first, you have to know your sexual health status. Our HIV Home Test Kit will give you quick, accurate test results from the comfort of your own home.

What is this new drug?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated guidelines supporting the use of lenacapavir, a new injectable drug, as a way of helping high-risk patients.

The drug is meant to be taken as a twice-yearly injection, acting as an additional prevention option for people at risk of contracting HIV, especially in high-risk areas. The guidance recommends using lenacapavir in combination with other HIV prevention drugs, like tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and other forms of pre-exposure prophylaxsis (PrEP).

This new guidance has been supported by two multicentre, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled trials.

These studies showed that lenacapavir resulted in significant reductions in HIV acquisition and high treatment efficacy when compared to other daily oral PrEP medications like TDF. More research is needed to know how this drug may affect certain populations, like sex workers, people who inject drugs, and incarcerated individuals.

Lenacapavir didn’t show any adverse outcomes when administered to pregnant individuals and is not associated with negative birth outcomes. The studies also didn’t show any evidence that lenacapavir had any meaningful interactions with hormonal contraception or gender-affirming hormone therapy.

Will it work for other STIs?

Lenacapavir was specifically designed for HIV. Evidence gathered during these studies found similar rates of transmission of other infections when compared to other PrEP recipients.

How will it be rolled out?

The US government has announced plans to invest in lenacapavir. The Department of State aims to reach up to 2 million people with the drug by 2028, with the hope that it will help save hundreds of thousands of lives. Over the coming months, the US will work with countries with the largest HIV/AIDS epidemics to develop rollout strategies with a focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission.

This announcement comes as a boon to many researchers and specialists, who have raised concerns about recent cuts to global funding for health and research initiatives.

The US financial commitment is a partnership between the Global Fund and Gilead Science, a California-based biopharma company that makes the drug.

For decades, the US had been the global leader in combating HIV. PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) usually had strong support from all political parties. After it was founded in 2003, PEPFAR had invested over $120 billion globally to help fight HIV and AIDS. It was also instrumental in the development of a daily PrEP pill to help prevent infections.

When will the drug be available?

The logistics of the rollout of the drug are still being determined. The hope amongst health officials is that the drug could make it to hot spots in Africa by the end of this year. However, African countries themselves have to green light the drug first.

After the initial version of the drug is rolled out, a cheaper generic form of the drug will soon be available. Gilead Sciences has shared the licence for lenacapavir and information on how to make it to several other manufacturers. Generic versions of the drug probably won’t be available until 2027 because of the time needed to start production and conduct testing.

Final thoughts

Chairman of Better2Know, Mike Asher, had this to say about the latest breakthrough:

“We at Better2know welcome this breakthrough in HIV treatment. This new medication has the potential to save many lives in areas where this pernicious infection still spreads. We hope this will lead to further advancements in treatment so that HIV can be completely eradicated. We encourage anyone who is worried that they have HIV to reach out and get tested and treated. It’s always better to know your STI status so that you can get the treatment you need.”

If you’re concerned that you may have an STI, Better2Know is here to help. So many STIs can spread from person to person without ever showing any symptoms. Book an STI test at a sexual health clinic near you today.

Don’t leave your sexual health to chance.

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