July 24, 2024 – A twice-yearly injection to stop HIV could dramatically change the course of an epidemic that has killed greater than 40 million people for the reason that Nineteen Eighties.
Vaccinations administered twice a yr prevent recent HIV infections 100% of the time, as a recent groundbreaking study shows. In a gaggle that took every day HIV prevention tablets, only 2 percent became infected. More than 5,000 women and girls aged 16 to 25 from South Africa and Uganda took part within the study.
The results were published Wednesday in New England Journal of Medicine and was also presented at a global AIDS conference in Germany. The trial was stopped early since the twice-yearly injections were so successful.
An estimated 1.3 million people worldwide turn into newly infected with HIV annually. More than 600,000 people die annually from AIDS-related illnesses. One of the most important challenges in implementing campaigns for effective preventive medicine (generally known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP) is that many individuals at high risk of HIV don't take these medications every day for a wide range of reasons, including access.
The vaccines sold under the name Sunlenca are manufactured by the US pharmaceutical company Gilead. Sunlenca, also known under the generic name Lenacapavir, is currently approved within the USA as a treatment for HIV and Gilead The company said it could seek approval of the drug as a preventative measure, depending on the outcomes of an ongoing study in men.
“These data confirm that twice-yearly dosing of lenacapavir for HIV prevention is a breakthrough with great public health potential,” said Dr. Sharon Lewin, physician, researcher and president of the International AIDS Society, in a opinion“If this long-acting drug is approved and distributed – quickly, cheaply and equitably – to those who need or want it, it could help accelerate global progress in HIV prevention. We are all grateful to the thousands of young women in South Africa and Uganda who have volunteered to take part in this trial.”
The current price for Lenacapavir is greater than $40,000 in the primary yr, but a separate study also presented on the conference estimated that producing the drug on a bigger scale could end in costs of $40 per treatment. The group Doctors Without Borders called for global motion to make the drug inexpensive and accessible as soon as possible, adding that the organization is keen to supply it as a part of its medical programs.
“One hundred percent effectiveness requires one hundred percent access,” Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP, a worldwide HIV advocacy organization, said in an announcement from Doctors Without Borders. “Lenacapavir for HIV prevention is a potentially pandemic-preventing intervention.”