Twice-yearly injections of the capsid inhibitor drug lenacapavir can prevent the vast majority of HIV infections, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The trial enrolled 3,271 cisgender men and gender-diverse people and compared HIV twice-yearly lenacapavir injection to background infection rates and to Truvada, a daily pill for PrEP. Researchers say among 2,179 participants in the lenacapavir group, they found only two incident HIV infections – a 96% reduction compared to background HIV incidence. The Truvada group had nine incident cases among 1,086 participants. No new or significant safety concerns were identified.
The trial found lenacapavir decreased HIV incidence by 89% compared to Truvada.
Researchers say the nine participants in the Truvada group who experienced incident HIV infection showed evidence of low or no treatment adherence, underscoring the importance of PrEP options that fit a variety of patients and lifestyles.
