HIV breakthrough: Drug trial shows injection twice a year is 100% effective against infection

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Public Health

Context:

A large clinical trial in South Africa and Uganda has shown that a twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug gives young women total protection from HIV infection.

More on news:

The trial tested whether the six-month injection of lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other drugs, both being daily pills.
All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) drugs.
Purpose 2 is being conducted in a number of regions including some sites in Africa among cisgender men, and transgender and nonbinary people who have sex with men.

About the trials:

Lenacapavir (Len LA) is a fusion capside inhibitor.
It interferes with the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects HIV’s genetic material and enzymes needed for replication.
It is administered just under the skin, once every six months.

Significance of these trials:

There were 1.3 million new HIV infections globally in the past year.
Although that’s fewer than the 2 million infections seen in 2010, it is clear that at this rate we are not going to meet the HIV new infection target that UNAIDS set for 2025 or potentially even the goal to end Aids by 2030.
PrEP should be provided alongside HIV self-testing, access to condoms, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and access to contraception for women of childbearing potential.

What is PrEP?

PrEP refers to the use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection in individuals who are at high risk of acquiring the virus.
The drugs used in PrEP are called Truvada, a combination of two antiretroviral medications – Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and Emtricitabine (FTC).

What is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.
It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
The human body can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists.
However, effective treatment with HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (also called the viral load) to a very low level.