Truvada and Apretude are currently approved for use in cisgender women, and Descovy is in the study phase. As a result of the efficacy of Lenacapavir, if other drugs come on the market, drug compliance could change significantly as the drug only needs to be taken twice a year.
The introduction of the twice-yearly option adds another highly effective option to the toolkit of people at risk of HIV, which has the potential to reduce the number of HIV cases in the country.
According to a press release, the next step for Gilead Sciences researchers is to test lenacapavir in “cisgender men who have sex with men, transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-binary individuals who have sex with partners who were assigned male at birth.” It's a test.
Barriers to HIV Prevention
People living with HIV continue to face stigma and discrimination. Although improving, public knowledge surrounding this disease is still not at the level needed for everyone to understand and practice appropriate preventive behaviors.
Compliance with medication can also be an issue for people, as current options include taking daily pills and getting monthly injections.
The continued development of new drugs such as lenacapavir may help improve the situation. However, unless there is greater awareness of the available drugs and approaches, the number of HIV cases is likely to continue to increase. Cases are expected to increase by nearly 25% in 2022, and estimates for 2023 and 2024 show that the increase will continue.