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Tengrinews.kz - A revolutionary HIV drug has been created: clinical trials have shown that its twice-yearly injections are 96% effective in preventing HIV, researchers from Emori University and the vaccine developer, Gilead, said.
The American company Gilead Sciences, Inc., announced the creation of a vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the cost of an annual dose of the drug exceeds 40 thousand dollars.
"However, results from a recent Gilead-funded clinical trial (Purpose-2) led by physicians at Emory University and Grady Health System indicate that a twice-yearly injection of Lenacapavir offers a 96% reduced risk of infection overall, making the injection significantly more effective than daily oral PrEP," Emory said in a statement.
In a randomized, double-blind, phase III clinical trial comparing the two drugs, 99% of participants in the Lenacapavir group did not become infected with HIV. Only two participants in the Lenacapavir group of 2 179 people became infected with HIV during the study.
The study involved more than 5 300 women aged 16 to 25 in South Africa and Uganda.
If approved, the drug would be part of pre-exposure prophylaxis, preventing anyone who injected it from becoming infected with the virus through sexual contact.
"Seeing these high levels of efficacy — at almost 100% — in an injectable that people only have to take every six months is incredible. This is a considerable and profound advancement in medicine, especially for people whose circumstances don’t allow them to take a daily oral medication, and for those among populations disproportionately impacted by HIV," says Colleen Kelley, MD, lead author of the study and a professor at the School of Medicine at Emory University.
The drug was initially tested against two other drugs, but the trial was stopped early, with all participants receiving it.
The decision was based on the fact that no significant adverse reactions were observed in those taking the drug, while the drug itself demonstrated greater effectiveness with the minimum number of doses required.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. promises to make the drug more widely available once the results of other studies, including those involving men, are known.
Earlier, a patient in Germany has been cured of HIV. A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with HIV in 2009. In 2015, he was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia. For treatment, he received a stem cell transplant from a donor whose cells were not susceptible to HIV.
Also we reported that Kazakhstan is testing a domestic cancer drug. According to biologist and professor Dos Sarbassov, the testing of the drug began in 2022-2023, and to date, the cancer drug has successfully passed two initial phases, showing promising results.
