Game-Changer In HIV Prevention: Twice-Yearly Shots Prove 100% Effective In Women

A groundbreaking study has revealed that twice-yearly injections to treat HIV/AIDS are 100% effective in preventing new infections in women. This revolutionary finding was published on Wednesday, July 24.

The study, conducted in South Africa and Uganda, involved approximately 5,000 young women and girls. None of the participants who received the injections contracted HIV. In contrast, about 2% of the group taking daily prevention pills contracted HIV from infected partners.

“To see this level of protection is stunning,” commented Salim Abdool Karim, the director of an AIDS research center in Durban, South Africa, who was not involved in the study.

The injections, known as Sunlenca and produced by U.S. drugmaker Gilead, are approved in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, but only as a treatment for HIV. Gilead is awaiting the results of testing in men before seeking approval for the injections as a preventative measure.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an AIDS conference in Munich, the study's results were so promising that it was halted early, offering all participants the injections, also known as lenacapavir.

In the study, only about 30% of participants consistently took Gilead’s Truvada or Descovy prevention pills, and adherence decreased over time. The twice-a-year injection offers a more practical and less stigmatized alternative.

“This is quite revolutionary news for our patients,” said Thandeka Nkosi, who led the Gilead research at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Masiphumelele, South Africa. “It gives participants a choice and eliminates the stigma around taking pills to prevent HIV.”

Despite the excitement surrounding the Sunlenca shots, experts are concerned about their affordability. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the U.N. AIDS agency, emphasized the potential impact: “Gilead has a tool that could change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic.”

Currently, as a treatment, Sunlenca costs over $40,000 annually in the U.S., a price far beyond the reach of millions in Africa. Dr. Helen Bygrave of Doctors Without Borders stated that the injections could “reverse the epidemic if made available in the countries with the highest rates of new infections.” She urged Gilead to set an affordable price for all countries.

Gilead has yet to determine the cost of Sunlenca for prevention in lower-income countries. Dr. Jared Baeten, Gilead’s senior vice president of clinical development, acknowledged the urgency of the situation, stating the company is in discussions with generics manufacturers.

Another HIV prevention shot, Apretude, administered every two months, is approved in some countries, including in Africa, but at about $180 per patient per year, it remains too expensive for many Africans.

This breakthrough in HIV prevention marks a significant step forward in the fight against the epidemic, offering new hope for millions at risk.