Groundbreaking HIV drug Lenacapavir shows promising results in latest study

ATLANTA – A promising new drug could help in the fight against HIV. The Atlanta metropolitan area has one of the highest HIV rates in the world. A recent study shows that the new injectable drug blocked the spread of HIV in all participants.

The drug is called Lenacapavir and is given as an injection twice a year. Experts say it could be a turning point.

HIV is an epidemic in Georgia. Atlanta is among the top five cities with the highest rates. “HIV continues to be a huge problem,” said Leisha McKinley-Beach, CEO and founder of the Black Public Health Academy. “Atlanta has the third highest number of new HIV diagnoses, only Miami and Memphis are better.”

Tests in Uganda and South Africa have shown that lenacapavir blocks HIV in patients who do not yet have the virus. A recent study showed that a twice-yearly vaccination given to cisgender women blocked the spread of HIV in all participants.

“This is pretty big. This injection could actually make the difference for us,” McKinley-Beach said.

HIV and AIDS hit African Americans much harder than other ethnic groups. Experts like McKinley-Beach say the drug could be an important tool in curbing the spread of the virus.

“We want to continue to expand this prevention toolkit to give people options and pathways to HIV prevention,” McKinley-Beach said. “The ability to get a vaccine every six months gives people more options and different pathways again.”

Justin Smith, director of the Campaign to End AIDS at Positive Impact Health Centers, called the results “very promising.”

“This is one of the most exciting scientific news we have had in the HIV community for a long time,” he added.

So far, lenacapavir has proven effective in women and girls whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Smith says studies need to show similar results in cisgender men and other groups, including transgender women and men.

“We need to continue to make sure that we test other populations as well,” Satmith said.

There are still a few hurdles to overcome. The pharmaceutical company must conduct further tests and then apply to the FDA for approval for use in the USA. And then there are the costs. The pharmaceutical company Gilead charges more than $42,000 per patient per year, but there are other prevention methods.