Breakthrough Approval: Lenacapavir Injects New Hope for HIV Prevention
The U.S. FDA approved Gilead Sciences' lenacapavir injection to prevent HIV in adults and adolescents. Marketed as Yeztugo, it promises nearly 100% effectiveness from trials, offering a significant step in combatting HIV. Gilead plans a rapid U.S. launch and global distribution with partners.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to Gilead Sciences' innovative drug, lenacapavir, for preventing HIV in adults and adolescents. Administered biannually, this injection will be marketed under the brand name Yeztugo.
Hailed by investors and AIDS activists, lenacapavir's approval has been eagerly anticipated. Classified as a capsid inhibitor, it showed near-perfect effectiveness in recent trials, sparking optimism for its role in ending the 44-year-old HIV epidemic that continues to affect over a million people annually worldwide.
The scientific community has praised lenacapavir, with the journal Science naming it the 2024 Breakthrough of the Year. Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day referred to the approval as a pivotal moment, emphasizing the drug's potential to significantly alter the course of the epidemic. Gilead is preparing for an extensive rollout in the United States and global markets.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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