Study: Lenacapavir 100% Effective in Preventing HIV

A groundbreaking study has shown that twice-yearly shots of lenacapavir, a drug currently used to treat HIV, are 100% effective in preventing new infections among women and adolescent girls in Africa. Conducted on around 5,000 participants in South Africa and Uganda, the study reported no new infections among those who received the injections, compared to a 2% infection rate in those taking daily prevention pills. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an AIDS conference in Munich, have led to widespread acclaim from experts. The shots, marketed as Sunlenca by Gilead, are already approved for HIV treatment in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and may soon be approved for prevention following further testing in men. This new method could significantly improve HIV prevention efforts, especially in areas where consistent use of other prevention methods has been challenging.