Two injection shots per year used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections among women in South Africa and Uganda, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed.
The study published on July 24, 2024 indicated that there were no infections in 5,300 young women and girls aged between 16 and 25 years. In contrast, daily pills that have been in use to prevent HIV infection had a 98% efficacy.
US drug maker Gilead said it was waiting for results of testing in men before seeking permission to use Sunlenca, also known as Lenacapavir, to protect against infection. Dr. Jared Baeten, Gilead’s senior vice president of clinical development, said the company was already talking to generics manufacturers and understood how “deeply important it is that we move with speed” but added that it was too early to say how much Sunlenca would cost in poorer countries.
International Aids Society (IAS) President Sharon Lewin said that data confirms that the twice-yearly shots for HIV prevention is a breakthrough advance with huge public health potential.
“If approved and delivered – rapidly, affordably, and equitably – to those who need or want it, this long-acting tool could help accelerate global progress in HIV prevention. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of young women in South Africa and Uganda who volunteered to be part of this study,” she explained.
The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) applauded Gilead’s stakeholder engagement and affirmed that an independent data and safety monitoring board found the injectable drug safe and highly effective.
AVAC’s executive director Mitchell Warren said the development was one of the most important results seen to date in an HIV prevention study.
“Adding additional HIV prevention options means more people may find an option that is right for them. Beyond expanded choice, a twice-yearly injection has the potential to transform the way we deliver HIV prevention to people who need and want it most.” said Warren.
Each year, more than 600,000 people die from AIDS - related illnesses, while an estimated 1.3 million people worldwide are newly infected with HIV annually. The breakthrough comes as most people have taken prevention tools known as PrEP, to prevent infections of the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.
In a statement, Dr. Helen Bygrave of Doctors Without Borders said that the injections could “reverse the epidemic if it is made available in the countries with the highest rate of new infections.” She urged Gilead to publish a price for Sunlenca that would be affordable for all countries.
According to UNAIDS, 46% of new HIV infections globally in 2022 were in women and girls, who were three times more likely to get HIV than males in Africa.
