The twice-yearly injection is 96% effective in preventing HIV transmission.

However, its effectiveness is greatly reduced if it is not taken consistently.

To alleviate this situation, the use of other recommendations that require less patient compliance has been tried. One of them is to administer the drug twice a year. lenacapavir

data from which are presented in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The clinical trial, funded by the pharmaceutical company Gilead (Goal 2), is led by doctors from Emory University and Grady Health Systemindicate that a twice-yearly injection of the drug reduces the risk of infection by 96%, making it more effective than oral PrEP.

Colleen Kelly, lead author of the study and professor at Emory University School of Medicine:This is a significant and profound advance in medicine.especially for those whose circumstances prevent them from taking oral medications on a daily basis, and for populations most affected by HIV.

In this phase III clinical trial, 99% of participants in the lenacapavir group did not become infected with HIV, and only two infections occurred in 2179 people. By comparison, nine infections were recorded in the PrEP group (1086 people). The study also showed great adhesion to an injection than to a daily tablet.

The injections are more effective because many people avoid taking oral PrEP because of the difficulty of sticking to their daily treatment regimen, Kelly said. The vaccine, given only twice a year, is especially beneficial for people with limited access to health care.

Including racially, ethnically, and gender diverse participants in the study was key because it represented populations most affected by HIV.

Ethnic diversity

The trial groups consisted of cisgender men and gender diverse people at 88 locations in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.

According to the work, the same populations that are disproportionately those affected by HIV are people with limited access to PrEP or they may have difficulty taking antiretroviral medications consistently, highlighting the need for more options.

Valeria Cantos, principal investigator of the clinical trial at Grady, emphasized the importance of conducting studies that include groups that are truly representative of the patients Grady cares for.

“We’re not reaching all the people we need to reach with current HIV prevention efforts,” Kelly says. For those who cannot take pills daily, injectables can truly offer incredible benefits

and change the game by helping them stay HIV negative.”

Since the Phase III clinical trial has been completed and submitted to the US FDA, Kelly expects lenacapavir to be approved for commercial use in 2025.

The challenge, says Carlos del Rio of Emory University, “is to implement and make available these equitable instruments; “Only then will we see a dramatic decline in the number of new HIV infections both locally and globally.”