Nearly 100-percent effective HIV vaccine has been developed in US

Tengrinews.kz – A vaccine against HIV, claimed to be 100% effective, has been approved in the United States. Scientists in the media are calling it a “breakthrough of the decade” and the closest analog to an HIV vaccine so far. Does this mean humanity has finally defeated the deadly virus? A Tengrinews.kz correspondent sought comment from Professor of Medicine Almaz Sharman.

Earlier, New Atlas published an article stating that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug from Gilead under the trade name Yeztugo. It is claimed that the drug provides nearly 100% protection against HIV.

According to Professor Sharman, lenacapavir (the name of the drug) represents a true breakthrough in HIV prevention.

“The results of clinical studies demonstrate almost perfect effectiveness: not a single case of infection among women with just two injections per year. In June, the drug was approved by the FDA for HIV prevention, and already in July the World Health Organization included it in global prevention protocols,” Sharman noted.

The doctor called this a significant step forward: the drug has long-lasting effects, is easy to use, and helps overcome key barriers — the need for daily intake, stigma, and limited access.

Almaz Sharman explained that thanks to initiatives by the World Health Organization and licensing agreements for generics (equivalents of original branded drugs), the vaccine could become available in 120 low- and middle-income countries at a cost of only $25 to $46 per person per year.

However, despite the optimism, there remain serious challenges: high costs in developed markets — up to $44,000 per year, incomplete registration processes in several countries, infrastructure limitations, and reductions in international program funding.

In addition, as the professor clarified, lenacapavir is only part of a comprehensive strategy, which still requires mass testing and social support.

“I first became acquainted with Gilead in 1993 — at an exhibition in Denver, where the company was presenting its developments. In the 1990s and early 2000s, I actively worked in the field of HIV/AIDS control in Africa and Central Asia.

Antiretroviral therapy with Gilead drugs remains the cornerstone of the fight against this epidemic. In 2012, I invested in the company when it introduced a revolutionary drug for hepatitis C — Sovaldi (Sofosbuvir or Harvoni), which made it possible to completely cure the disease.

With the development of lenacapavir, Gilead may once again be on the verge of a historic breakthrough capable of changing the lives of millions of people around the world,” Sharman concluded.

Earlier we reported that Kazakhstan plans to register a cancer drug by the end of the year.