A twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug was shown to provide young women total protection from HIV infection in a large clinical trial performed in South Africa and Uganda. The drug, lenacapavir, works by interfering with the protein shell that protects HIV's genetic material and the enzymes needed for replication. Gilead Sciences plans to submit the drug for approval with a number of country regulators within the next couple of months. It will offer licenses to companies that make generic drugs to help get prices down.
Thursday, July 11, 2024