Nearly 40 million people live with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to estimates from the World Health Organization. Each year, 1.3 million more people are newly diagnosed. Worldwide, the WHO estimates that roughly 31 million people take antiretroviral medications to prevent further transmission of the virus.

A newly approved medication to prevent HIV infection that can be injected twice a year is being hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Here’s what this new medication could mean for millions of people worldwide.

Lenacapavir is a new type of HIV prevention medicine recently approved by the U.S. FDA. It works differently from other HIV drugs by targeting the protective shell (capsid) of the HIV virus. This makes it effective even against certain HIV strains that no longer respond to other medicines.

Lenacapavir is in Phase 3 development for HIV prevention. An application for marketing approval of lenacapavir as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2024.

For HIV prevention, Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral drug given as an injection in a person’s arm, thigh or stomach given as a subcutaneous injection once every six months

If the HIV virus enters a person’s body, lenacapavir is designed to disrupt the virus at several stages to undermine its ability to replicate and make that person sick. This long-acting protection makes it a convenient option for people who may struggle to take pills daily.

• In a major study (called PURPOSE 1) involving young women in South Africa and Uganda, those who received lenacapavir injections had no new HIV infections, making it even more effective than daily oral PrEP.
• Another large study (PURPOSE 2) in the Americas is still ongoing, but early results are promising.

Like all medicines, lenacapavir may cause side effects. The most common are pain or swelling where the injection is given, along with some nausea or headaches. These effects are generally mild.

Doctors must be careful about drug interactions. Lenacapavir shouldn’t be used with some medicines like rifampin because they reduce its effectiveness. It also stays in the body for many months, so switching to another HIV treatment must be done carefully to avoid resistance.

Overall, lenacapavir offers a new and powerful option for preventing HIV infection, though pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, medications have been available for years, the emergence of lenacapavir offers an easier and longer-lasting way to prevent HIV infection especially for people who want fewer doses and long-lasting protection. There is no HIV vaccine.

Fore detailed Information on latest development of Lenacapavir Medicine click the links below;

https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/drugs/lenacapavir-hiv-prevention/health-professional

https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/drugs/lenacapavir-hiv-prevention/health-professional?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7YPhedF6AT9CpO2gn4evrCYSX1S1adLJLdyOTe-Ywfi_qdr4wa6UeAPhELHg_aem_FTYqd17f0xJO7O4Rxdoc9Q