new drug shows 100% efficacy in test

With 100% effectiveness in results, the injection of Lenacapavir to prevent HIV infection, studies and tests have shown. Injectable every six months, the drug was tested on cisgender women in South Africa.

Unprecedented result in study

In the test, no woman tested positive for HIV, with a 100% effective result, which is unprecedented in HIV studies. And this shows an excellent possibility of prevention, when it becomes available, for those people who choose this method of preventing the virus.

This medication, Lenacapavir, interferes with the HIV capsid, which is a protein coat that protects the virus's genetic material and the enzymes needed for replication.

Goal of ending the HIV epidemic

The drug's developer, Merdad Parsey, chief medical officer at Gilead Sciences, said in a statement: “With zero infections and 100% efficacy, twice-yearly Lenacapavir has demonstrated its potential as an important new tool to help prevent HIV infections.”

He also said: “We look forward to additional results from the ongoing Purpose clinical program, as we continue toward our goal of helping to end the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere.”

Lenacapavir was compared with two other existing PrEP drugs, which are pills to be taken daily. One is Truvada F/TDF and the other is Descovy F/TAF for HIV.

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_{Pills (Photo: reproduction/Getty Images Embed/Joe Raedle)}

In the test, women between the ages of 16 and 25 received one of three medications: Lenacapavir, Truvada and Discovery. None of the 2,134 women who received Lenacapavir contracted HIV infection. This showed 100% efficacy against the HIV virus. In contrast, for the other medications, 1.5% of the women who received Truvada contracted the virus, and 1.8% of the women who received Discovery contracted the virus. From now on, tests will be carried out on men.

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