Lenacapavir Drug

Lenacapavir Drug Latest News

Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lenacapavir (LEN), the most promising HIV prevention medicine to be made so far.

About Lenacapavir Drug

• Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral medicine that is used for HIV prevention as a pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP.
• PrEP is a medication that can reduce the risk of HIV infection for individuals who are HIV-negative but are at risk of contracting the virus.
• The results of two key studies have shown that it helps prevent 99.9 per cent of all HIV transmission.
• LEN is an injectable PrEP that is to be taken twice yearly.
• It is developed by Gilead Sciences and marketed under the brand name Yeztugo.

How does lenacapavir work?

• Lenacapavir is a capsid inhibitor, a class of drugs that blocks the protein shell (capsid) the HIV virus needs to replicate.
• Unlike oral PrEP pills that must be taken daily, lenacapavir is administered as an injection once every six months, providing a discreet and highly effective method of prevention.

Source: IE