New HIV prevention drug lenacapavir has shown 100% success rate in trials
New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are at their lowest levels in more than 30 years, a special report released by UNAIDS shows.
Released in time for the 26th International AIDS Conference taking place in Rio de Janeiro, it also showed that 7 countries: Benin, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Nepal, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, achieved an almost 80% reduction in new infections since 2010.
It further showed that 11 countries achieved the “95-95-95” treatment targets, meaning that 95% of all people living with HIV know their status, 95% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection are accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), 95% of all people accessing ART are virally suppressed.
“The world is on the cusp of an HIV prevention revolution in prevention medicines which offer close to vaccine like protection against HIV,” UNAIDS wrote in a statement.
“Monthly and six-month injections are slowly trickling into the market, and monthly pills are in late-stage trials. What is coming to market and in the pipeline is extraordinary.”
Other positive news in the report shows that Brazil has increased the number of people accessing HIV prevention medicines at least once in the past year by 41%. Ethiopia and Uganda also took action to expand access through domestic and other funding, and South Africa is continuing to negotiate pricing deals for the twice-yearly prevention injections lenacapavir.
In June, GNN reported on the results of the Purpose 1 trial for lenacapavir, which showed 0 HIV infections among 3,200 young female participants, an unthinkable success rate.
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UNITAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and partners have pulled money together to start rolling out lenacapavir to reach 3 million 2028.
“Despite enormous challenges ending AIDS is still within reach. At AIDS 2026 UNAIDS is urging all partners and governments to remobilize and push forward to achieve the ambitious targets in the Political Declaration,” said Ms. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAID, referring to the UN’s Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS adopted this year.
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