MINISTER of Health Dr Frank Anthony, has said that the government is working to possibly acquire a ground-breaking HIV prevention injection to further boost the country’s prevention-care programme.
The minister highlighted this initiative on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.
Dr Anthony stated, “There’s a new drug that is on the market that we are working to see whether we will be able to get it, and that’s lenacapavir.”
Lenacapavir, according to the World Health Organisation, is the first twice-yearly injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which offers a highly effective, long-acting alternative to other short-acting options.
The drug, which provides two doses per year, was hailed as a transformative step forward in protecting people at risk of HIV, specifically those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma or access to healthcare.
Dr Anthony told reporters, however, “lenacapavir is very expensive, in places like the US, and so the treatment would be about US$25,000.”
However, he stated that the drug is expected to go off patent in a year or two, and as such, officials hope that when it does, they will be able to access the medication at a lower cost.
“We are hoping when it goes off patent, that we will be able to access that medication at a cheaper cost, which can help… A lot of people have said that this could be a game-changer in terms of HIV care, and so we are working with our partners to see how we can access that medication,” the Health Minister said.
Earlier this year, the Director-General of the WHO noted that while an HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing— an antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk.