A groundbreaking study has demonstrated that twice-yearly shots for AIDS prevention are 100% effective in preventing new HIV infections among women.
The research, involving approximately 5,000 young women and girls in South Africa and Uganda, found that none of the participants who received the injections contracted HIV. In contrast, about 2% of those using daily prevention pills still acquired the virus from infected partners.
Salim Abdool Karim, director of an AIDS research center in Durban, South Africa, praised the results, stating, “To see this level of protection is stunning,” despite not being involved in the research.
The injections, produced by U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead and branded as Sunlenca, are currently approved for HIV treatment in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other regions. Gilead is awaiting test results in men before seeking approval for using the shots as a preventive measure.
The study’s findings were published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an AIDS conference in Munich. Funded by Gilead, with some researchers employed by the company, the study was halted early due to the exceptional results, and all participants were subsequently offered the shots, known as lenacapavir.
While other HIV prevention methods like condoms and daily pills are available, adherence has been a challenge in Africa. The new study highlighted that only about 30% of participants using Gilead’s Truvada or Descovy pills adhered to the regimen, with compliance decreasing over time.
Thandeka Nkosi, who contributed to the Gilead research at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Masiphumelele, South Africa, called the twice-a-year shot “revolutionary news” for patients. “It provides an alternative and removes the stigma associated with daily pill use for HIV prevention,” she noted.
