The FDA has just approved a long -lasting injection to prevent HIV

American food And the administration of drugs has just approved Lenacapavir, an injectable form of HIV prevention which is almost 100 % and requires only two doses per year. Science The magazine described medicine on More important scientific advance of 2024.

In clinical studies, Lenacapavir proved to be 99.9 percent effective in preventing HIV infection through sexual transmission in people who weigh more than 35 kilograms. The drug, an antiretroviral, works not by stimulating an immune response, but blocking the HIV from reproduction during its early stages, in particular, interrupting the function of the virus capside protein. This happens as long as the body receives injections every six months.

Lenacapavir has already been approved in some countries as a HIV treatment in people with forms of viruses that are resistant to other treatments. However, before this week, its prophylactic use had not been approved anywhere, making the decision of the FDA a new significant development in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The drug is not the first medicine that can be taken in advance to protect from a HIV infection: the pre-exposition prophylaxis pills (prep) were already available in many countries, including the United States. But these must be taken every day and guarantee continuous access to these medicines and that people remember to take them is a well -known challenge. It is hoped that Lenacapavir’s long -lasting effects will make it easier for people to remain protected against the virus.

According to its creator, Gilead Sciences, Lenacapavir will be marketed with the commercial name Yeztugo. The company has committed itself to producing 10 million doses by 2026.

“This is a historical day in the ten -year struggle against HIV. Yeztugo is one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time and offers a very real opportunity to help HIV’s epidemic end,” said Daniel O’Day, president and CEO of Gilead, declaration on Wednesday.

However, the price of Lenacapavir could be a barrier to access. Yeztugo will have an annual list of $ 28,218 per person in the United States. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the joint program of the United Nations on HIV/AIDS (Unids), also has reported in the past That the drug is inaccessible for many people in Africa, where medicine has the potential to have the greatest impact. About two thirds Of the people who live with HIV all over the world live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gilead said in A Last year declaration That a strategy had been “developed to allow a large and sustainable access global access to Lanacapavir, although the company has not yet provided detailed information on how it will do so. An option could be “voluntary licenses”, in which other companies permit is allowed to produce and sell generic versions of a product patented exclusively to people in certain countries (often low -income). Researchers from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom they calculated That a year of Lenacapavir could be made available for a minimum of $ 25.

This story originally appeared on Wired en español And it was translated by the Spaniard.