New HIV prevention drug faces access barriers despite promise
In Mbarara, Uganda, a city known for sex tourism, sex worker Lisa Mutoni prioritizes condom use to prevent HIV and other infections. While she utilizes pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a new injectable drug called lenacapavir offers a potentially more effective solution: two shots a year for near-complete protection. However, Mutoni frequently finds the drug unavailable, a common frustration despite its potential to significantly impact HIV prevention.
Lenacapavir’s long-lasting effect could benefit individuals like Mutoni who experience inconsistent access to healthcare. Experts believe it has the potential to curb the global HIV epidemic. However, current supply is insufficient to meet demand, both in Uganda and worldwide.
Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow at the University of Liverpool, emphasizes the need for a faster rollout, aiming to reach millions soon. A tentative approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a generic version of lenacapavir offers hope. This approval could facilitate distribution to 120 low-income countries at a cost of approximately $40 per year, a stark contrast to the U.S. list price of $28,218. The Global Fund aims to provide the drug to 3 million people by 2028.
Organizations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) advocate for broader access, urging Gilead Sciences to increase availability and sell directly to MSF to expedite protection for more individuals. They criticize Gilead’s actions, stating they contradict the company’s stated goal of ending the HIV epidemic “for everyone, everywhere.”
In Mbarara, where an estimated 10% of adults are living with HIV – double Uganda’s national rate – limited access to lenacapavir leaves individuals with less effective alternatives. Julius Bampe, a local builder, was unable to obtain lenacapavir for himself and his wife after her HIV diagnosis, due to insufficient doses.
Local health facilities, like Mbarara Health Centre IV, received a limited supply of 40 doses in April, initially prioritized for pregnant mothers. Demand quickly outstripped supply, with a subsequent shipment of 70 doses being exhausted within 10 days. Uganda has made progress in reducing its HIV rate, but transactional sexual encounters remain a significant driver of infection, highlighting the potential impact of lenacapavir.
Immaculate Nyamwija, founder of Action for Improved Health and Wealth in Mbarara, provides crucial support services to vulnerable women. She acknowledges the challenge of limited supply and the desire for a longer-lasting preventative measure like lenacapavir.
Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.
Source
“Promising new HIV-prevention drug is hard to find where it's most needed, in places like Uganda”
Read the original report ↗This story is an AI-assisted version of the original report, checked and edited by the Plainwire desk before publication. Read our editorial policy · Report an error
Read next
US ends duty-free trade access for South Africa and Rwanda
The United States will remove South Africa and Rwanda from preferential trade access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), starting…
Related
Caught up in five lines
The Brief: the day’s biggest stories, written by our desk at and .