FDA approves the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV

The U.S. has approved the world’s first twice-a-year HIV prevention shot, lenacapavir, to be sold under the name Yeztugo by Gilead Sciences. This long-acting injectable PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection and outperformed daily pills in studies, showing zero infections in high-risk women who received the shot compared to a 2% infection rate in the control group.

Lenacapavir is expected to be a major advancement in HIV prevention, especially for people who struggle with daily medication or face stigma. However, access remains uncertain due to challenges like U.S. healthcare system cuts and reduced global HIV funding.

While it doesn’t prevent other STDs, lenacapavir offers six months of protection with just two abdominal injections. Experts view it as a critical tool while the world still awaits a true HIV vaccine.

Despite its promise, uptake may be limited: only about 400,000 Americans currently use PrEP, though studies show higher PrEP use leads to lower HIV infection rates. Globally, about 1.3 million new infections still occur each year, and women—especially in Africa—remain disproportionately affected.

Credit : CGTN