This New Drug Could Help End the HIV Epidemic—but US Funding Cuts Are Killing Its Rollout
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Summary
New research into HIV prevention through Gilead Sciences’ drug lenacapavir, which could see injections administered only every six months instead of daily, has been slammed by AIDS experts as President Trump’s freezing of all foreign aid funding has left their plans “in tatters”
Scientists speaking to Wired say the Trump administration’s actions are a major setback in the world’s ability to control HIV and prevent new infections.
The latest breakthrough comes after research in 2021 into cabotegravir, an injectable HIV prevention drug that needs to be administered every two months, found it provided a 90 percent lower risk of contracting HIV compared to oral pills.
However, rollout of the drug has been glacial, with generic versions not expected to be available until 2027, with the Trump administration’s orders also leading to Phase 4 studies of the drug being stopped.
This comes as research shows people living with long-term HIV are at greater risk of developing metabolic conditions such as hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes, with these conditions already on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa.
