A drug currently used to treat HIV It has also been shown to drastically reduce the risk of infection, significantly superior to the main available option for pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. The discovery was announced last Thursday (12).
In a Phase 3 clinical trial, 99.9% of participants who received a twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir for HIV prevention did not contract the infection, according to data from the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.
There were just two cases among 2,180 patients, effectively reducing the risk of HIV infection by 96% and proving to be 89% more effective than Truvada, a once-daily pill. The trial was opened early as it met its main objectives, allowing lenacapavir to be offered to all participants.
“The difficulty some people may have taking an oral pill every day, including challenges with adherence and stigma, have made it difficult for them to accept and continue their standard of care for a long time, diminishing the impact of PrEP on HIV prevention,” said Onyema Ogbuagu, principal investigator of the trial and director of the Antivirals and Vaccine Research Program at Yale University.
“The incredible efficacy demonstrated in the PURPOSE 2 trial, the potential benefits of a twice-yearly injection, and the diversity of trial locations and participants show the impact that lenacapavir for PrEP can have for people around the world who need new options to reduce their chances of acquiring HIV. This discovery adds significantly to our arsenal of tools to bring us closer to an AIDS-free generation.”
The PURPOSE 2 trial included cisgender men, transgender men, transgender women, and nonbinary individuals aged 16 and older who have sexual intercourse with partners assigned male at birth. There were 88 trial sites in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States.
Another trial found that taking the long-acting injectable lenacapavir as pre-exposure prophylaxis can provide full protection against HIV acquisition in women, demonstrating 100% efficacy among young women and adolescents in Africa, according to trial data published in July.
This is a “significant advance in HIV prevention,” according to a World Health Organization press release in July.
Gilead said it will use the trial data to begin the process of approving the drug in several countries by the end of the year. The company plans to prioritize authorization in countries with high incidence and few resources.
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This content was originally published in Injection reduced risk of HIV infection by 96% in new study on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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