Protection against HIV is now real

100% Protection Against HIV in Groundbreaking Study!
A groundbreaking study has revealed that a twice-yearly injection offers complete protection against HIV. This remarkable finding comes from research involving around 5,000 young women and girls in South Africa and Uganda, where those who received the shots remained infection-free.
The study, funded by U.S. drugmaker Gilead, demonstrated the injection’s effectiveness when compared to daily prevention pills. Among participants who took daily pills, approximately 2% contracted HIV from infected partners. The injections, marketed as Sunlenca, are currently approved for treating HIV in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other regions.
The promising results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an AIDS conference in Munich, prompted an early conclusion to the study. All participants were subsequently offered the lenacapavir shots.
This development is seen as revolutionary, especially in Africa, where consistent use of HIV prevention methods like daily pills and condoms has been challenging. Thandeka Nkosi of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in South Africa noted that the twice-a-year injection eliminates the stigma associated with taking daily pills and provides a vital new option for HIV prevention.
However, there is concern about the affordability of these injections for those who need them most. While Gilead has suggested a “voluntary licensing program” to allow select generic producers to manufacture the drug, experts urge broader access. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the U.N. AIDS agency, stressed the importance of making Sunlenca affordable globally.
As an HIV treatment, Sunlenca currently costs over $40,000 annually in the U.S., though prices vary. Dr. Helen Bygrave of Doctors Without Borders emphasized that affordable pricing is crucial for reversing the epidemic, especially in countries with high infection rates.
Gilead’s senior vice president of clinical development, Dr. Jared Baeten, acknowledged the urgency of making the drug accessible and is in discussions with generics manufacturers.
Another HIV prevention injection, Apretude, is approved in some countries and costs about $180 per patient annually. This price, however, remains too high for many developing nations.
Byanyima highlighted that the most vulnerable populations, including women and girls facing domestic violence and gay men in countries with criminalized same-sex relationships, need long-lasting protection. In 2022, women and girls accounted for 46% of new HIV infections globally, with significantly higher rates in Africa.
The introduction of Sunlenca could be as transformative as the early AIDS drugs that turned HIV from a death sentence into a manageable condition. Historical parallels are drawn to South African President Nelson Mandela’s efforts to make AIDS drugs widely accessible, leading to dramatic price reductions.
The twice-yearly shots could significantly increase the uptake of HIV prevention methods, particularly among young women who often face social barriers to taking daily pills. UNAIDS reported a decrease in new HIV infections in 2023 to the lowest levels since the late 1980s, though challenges persist in regions like Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Researchers, including Andrew Hill of the University of Liverpool, estimate that expanding Sunlenca production could eventually lower the cost to about $40 per treatment. This innovation is seen as a significant step toward an HIV vaccine and underscores the critical need for timely access to effective prevention methods.