Award: Trade journal “Science”: HIV safety is the breakthrough of the 12 months | EUROtoday

The improvement of the drug lenacapavir, which prevents HIV an infection, is crucial analysis breakthrough of the 12 months for the famend specialist journal “Science”. This honors the subsequent, however certainly not closing step within the struggle in opposition to AIDS, in accordance with the justification for the “Breakthrough of the Year”.

According to knowledge from the UN program UNAIDS, round 40 million individuals worldwide reside with it HIVthe bulk in sub-Saharan Africa. A six-monthly injection of the drug lenacapavir successfully protects in opposition to an infection with the virus, examine knowledge confirmed. Previously used HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), reminiscent of Truvada, should be taken as a day by day pill.

The improvement of the drug represents an analogous advance in HIV prevention as earlier breakthroughs with antiretroviral medicine, explains Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp. “Lenacapavir’s six-month duration of action makes a big difference and offers a new and better way to make prophylaxis available to more people around the world.”

Valuable enchancment

Experts emphasize that getting injections twice a 12 months is rather more handy than having to recollect to take a pill daily. In addition, in some international locations closely affected by HIV, there’s a danger of being labeled as supposedly HIV-positive when taking tablets daily. An injection given solely twice a 12 months could be very useful.

The producer Gilead desires to use for approval for HIV safety in quite a few international locations. Targeted work can also be being performed to offer care in poorer international locations. The drug needs to be supplied prophylactically to individuals at excessive danger of HIV an infection.

In the EU, lenacapavir is accepted for the antiviral therapy of sure sufferers who’re already contaminated. Gilead has not but introduced the drug onto the market in Germany. It is unclear whether or not it will likely be accessible as a preventive agent on this nation.

Third honor for analysis on the subject

It has been recognized for the reason that early Eighties that the HIV virus causes the immunodeficiency illness AIDS. As a end result, antiretroviral preparations have been developed that scale back HIV ranges sufficient to cease transmission.

It is the third time that “Science” has acknowledged an AIDS intervention as a breakthrough. In 1996, the event of protease inhibitors as an efficient weapon in opposition to HIV marked a turning level. “In most patients, this class of antiretroviral drugs, in combination with other antiviral agents, was able to dramatically reduce HIV levels in the blood,” says Science.

In 2011, the groundbreaking scientific examine “HPTN 052” confirmed that therapy with a cocktail of those lively substances additionally decreased the chance of sexual transmission Virus on different individuals is considerably decreased.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:241212-930-316349/1