A chance to stop HIV with 'game changing' drug
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will gain access to a 'game-changing' HIV prevention drug with a new deal signed between with US pharmaceutical giant Gilead and the Global Fund, the latter said on July 9 (2025).
The health financing group set up to battle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, described the deal to procure lenacapavir for LMICs (including Malaysia) as 'a significant milestone for global health equity'.
'This marks the first time in history that an HIV prevention product will be introduced in LMICs at the same time as in high-income countries,' the Global Fund said in a statement.
The group said it hoped the agreement with Gilead would make it possible to reach two million people with the revolutionary drug, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June (2025).
Drugs to prevent HIV transmission, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), have existed for more than a decade.
But because they typically require taking a daily pill, they have yet to make a significant dent in global infections.
In contrast, lenacapavir requires only two injections per year and has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9% in adults and adolescents – making it functionally akin to a powerful vaccine.
ALSO READ: This drug offers 100% HIV protection in women
'This is not just a scientific breakthrough – it's a turning point for HIV/AIDS,' Global Fund chief Peter Sands said.
'For the first time, we have a tool that can fundamentally change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic, but only if we get it to the people who need it most.'
Under the agreement, countries supported by the Global Fund can access lenacapavir for PrEP, the organisation said, adding that it aimed for the first shipment and delivery to reach at least one African country by the end of this year.
This, it said, would mark the start of 'a transformational shift in how HIV prevention is delivered to communities with the highest burden of new infections'.
There is particular urgency in countries like South Africa, where adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV.
'This is a game changer for South Africa,' the country's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in the statement.
'Lenacapavir offers young women, and everyone at risk, a discreet, long-acting option to stay HIV-free.' – AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Health event was misrepresented as 'gay party', say rights group
PETALING JAYA: A recent police raid in Kelantan, initially labelled as a "gay party," was actually a health event, claims rights group Justice for Sisters. The group is urging the Kelantan police to verify and correct any misinformation they disseminated regarding the event. The incident, which was widely reported, sparked quick discriminatory remarks against LGBTQ individuals from various quarters, increasing fears of further discrimination and marginalisation. "Justice for Sisters' documentation of the event is completely different from the police's account," the group stated. According to the group, the event was a health initiative providing sexual health and HIV-related information, condoms, and voluntary testing to promote safer sexual practices. Healthcare providers were present to deliver health talks. By midnight, the event was winding down, with about 20 individuals awaiting their test results. "None of them provided sexual services at the event or were there to provide sexual services. The attendees were at the event to seek sexual health information and tests," the group clarified. Contrary to police claims, no attendees paid a fee to attend, nor was the event promoted on social media. Justice for Sisters also noted that although police tested the remaining attendees for drug use, all results were negative. However, three individuals were arrested for possessing intimate content, which the group maintains are trumped-up charges. The raid has heightened fears among LGBTQ individuals about seeking health services or attending similar events in the future. The group highlighted that police have generally refrained from raiding health events targeting marginalised groups, as such actions counter public health goals. Expressing concern about this re-emerging trend, Justice for Sisters urged the Health Ministry to investigate. "Such raids and threats to health centres have a deterring effect on health-seeking behaviour among marginalised populations," they said. The group also documented human rights violations by the police during the raid, including privacy breaches and degrading treatment of attendees. They called for police to adopt a compassionate and professional approach to ensure the rights of marginalised groups are protected.
Malay Mail
15 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysian AIDS Council confirms MOH-backed outreach session in Kota Bharu as Kelantan cops chastised over ‘gay sex party' accusation
KOTA BHARU, July 18 — The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) confirmed that it conducted a night outreach session here on June 17 under the Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations (DHSKP) model. After Kelantan police claimed that the raid was against an alleged 'gay sex party', MAC said the session was in collaboration with Kota Jembal Health Clinic and part of a strategic approach introduced by the Health Ministry. 'We strongly urge that programmes such as this not be misrepresented or unnecessarily politicised, as such actions may disrupt collective efforts to tackle HIV in Malaysia. 'Instead, community-based approaches like DHSKP should receive broad support as a proven and effective strategy to end AIDS by 2030,' it said in a statement. MAC said the session was held from 8pm to 2am and had reached over 70 high-risk individuals, with services scheduled outside office hours to improve accessibility. It had included information on HIV transmission risks, prevention, and the benefits of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment under the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) principle. Participants underwent confidential Community-Based Testing for HIV, with each screening taking 10 to 15 minutes, followed by counselling for those with reactive results. Brief counselling was provided by medical officers and clients were referred to the clinic for further follow-up. 'DHSKP emphasises tailored service delivery that meets the specific needs of target populations, free from stigma, and carried out through collaboration between public healthcare facilities and community organisations. 'It covers screening, counselling, treatment, and support, and aims to close the gap in access to healthcare while improving the effectiveness of HIV prevention and treatment,' it said. This comes as a coalition of civil society groups had also urged Kelantan police to revise their statement on a June 2025 raid of an alleged 'gay sex party' here, which they clarified was in fact a health outreach event. The groups, led by transgender rights advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said media reports following the raid resulted in harmful and stigmatising remarks that have intensified fear among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals seeking health services.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Swine fever outbreak places local food supply at risk
African swine fever outbreaks are spreading in the country, threatening to disrupt domestic food supplies, the government warned. Vietnam has this year detected 514 outbreaks in 28 out of 34 cities and provinces nationwide, the government said in a statement yesterday, adding that the authorities have culled more than 30,000 infected pigs. 'The risk of African swine fever is on a rising trend, negatively affecting the pig farming industry, food supplies and the environment,' the government said. African swine fever has disrupted the global pork market for years. In the worst outbreak over 2018-19, about half the domestic pig population died in China, the world's biggest producer, causing losses estimated at over US$100bil (RM424.4bil). Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has sent an urgent directive to provinces and government agencies this week to deploy measures to curb the disease in the face of recent outbreaks. Vietnam in 2023 approved the domestic commercial use of its first homegrown African swine fever vaccines, but officials said the rate of vaccinated pigs remains low. 'Only around 30% of the pigs in my province have been vaccinated,' said an animal health official of Quang Ngai province, where infections have been reported over the past few weeks. 'It's not clear why the rate is low – it could either be the issue of vaccine availability, efficiency or cost,' said another provincial official, who declined to be named as the person is not authorised to speak to the media. The agriculture ministry's Department of Animal Health didn't respond to Reuters' request for comment. Calls to AVAC Vietnam JSC, the country's main African swine fever vaccine producer, went unanswered. AVAC said last month it had sold three million vaccine doses in the domestic market and exported 600,000 doses to the Philippines and Indonesia. — Reuters
