HIV has been a scourge across the world for decades. Although amazing progress has been made in prevention and treatment, it still affects millions of people around the world and can lead to many negative health consequences.
But there is hope that a new drug can help many people living with this long-term condition.
HIV can be effectively treated with proper care. But first you need to know your sexual health status. With our HIV home test kit, you can get quick and accurate test results from the comfort of your own home.
What is this new drug?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated information Guidelines Support the use of lenacapavir, a new injectable drug, as a way to help high-risk patients.
The drug is intended to be taken as an injection twice a year and is intended to provide an additional prevention option for people who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV, particularly in high-risk areas. The guidelines recommend using lenacapavir in combination with other HIV prevention agents such as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and other forms of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
These new guidelines were supported by two multicenter, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled studies.
These studies showed that lenacapavir resulted in a significant reduction in HIV infection and high treatment effectiveness compared to other daily oral PrEP medications such as TDF. More research is needed to determine how this drug may affect specific populations, such as sex workers, people who inject drugs, and those incarcerated.
Lenacapavir has not shown any adverse outcomes when administered to pregnant individuals and is not associated with adverse birth outcomes. The studies also found no evidence that lenacapavir has any significant interactions with hormonal contraception or gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Does it also work for other sexually transmitted diseases?
Lenacapavir was developed specifically for HIV. Evidence gathered during these studies found that transmission rates of other infections are similar when compared to other PrEP recipients.
How is it introduced?
The US government has announced plans to invest in lenacapavir. The State Department wants to reach up to two million people with the drug by 2028 and hopes it will save hundreds of thousands of lives. In the coming months, the United States will work with countries with the largest HIV/AIDS epidemics to develop deployment strategies focused on preventing mother-to-child transmission.
This announcement is a boon to many researchers and specialists who have expressed concerns about recent cuts in global funding for health and research initiatives.
The U.S. financial commitment is a partnership between the Global Fund and Gilead Science, a California-based biopharmaceutical company that makes the drug.
For decades, the United States led the world in the fight against HIV. PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) has typically received strong support from all political parties. After its founding in 2003, PEPFAR had invested over $120 billion worldwide to combat HIV and AIDS. It was also instrumental in the development of a daily PrEP pill to prevent infections.
When will the drug be available?
The logistics of the drug’s launch are still being determined. Health authorities hope the drug could reach hot spots in Africa by the end of this year. However, African countries themselves must first give the green light for the drug.
Following the launch of the first version of the drug, a cheaper generic form of the drug will soon be available. Gilead Sciences has shared the license for lenacapavir and manufacturing information with several other manufacturers. Generic versions of the drug likely won’t be available until 2027, as it still takes time to start production and conduct testing.
Final thoughts
Daily Sparkz Chairman Mike Asher said of the recent breakthrough:
“We at Better2know welcome this breakthrough in HIV treatment. This new drug has the potential to save many lives in areas where this harmful infection is still spreading. We hope this will lead to further advances in treatment so that HIV can be completely eradicated. We encourage anyone who is concerned they may be infected with HIV to contact us and seek testing and treatment. It’s always better to know your STI status so you can get the treatment you need.”
If you are concerned that you may have an STI, Daily Sparkz is here for you. So many sexually transmitted diseases can be passed from person to person without ever showing symptoms. Book an STI test at a sexual health clinic near you today.
Don’t leave your sexual health to chance.
