THE World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) product developed by Gilead Sciences, as an additional protection against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The agency made the recommendation at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Kigali, Rwanda, on Monday, July 14.
This came three weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lenacapavir, becoming the first HIV prevention medication to be administered only once every six months.
The WHO said lenacapavir is a “highly effective, long-acting alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options.”
“While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a statement.
“WHO is committed to working with countries and partners to ensure this innovation reaches communities as quickly and safely as possible,” he added.
Ghebreyesus described the WHO’s recommendation and FDA’s recent approval of lenacapavir as a “critical step” in the fight against HIV, as the new HIV infections that occurred in 2024 remained at 1.3 million.
These infections affected sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, people in prisons, and children and adolescents, according to the WHO.
PH gov’t efforts
HIV is a virus that targets one’s immune system and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not treated. While there is no cure yet for HIV, it can be prevented by proper medical care.
In the Philippines, the HIV cases among Filipinos aged 15 to 25 rose by 500 percent. This prompted the Department of Health (DOH) to recommend that HIV be declared a national public health emergency.
The DOH has been advising the public to take the government’s free and confidential HIV test, practice the combination prevention method by using condoms, lubricants, and PrEP, and consult a physician for proper antiretroviral therapy (ART).
On Tuesday, the health department reported that 88 percent of the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country who are enrolled in the ART and underwent viral load test are now “virally suppressed.”
“Patunay ito na ang tuloy-tuloy na ART para sa mga PLHIV ay nakatutulong para mas mabilis nilang maabot ang Undetectable = Untransmittable status,” it said.
The DOH also provided the list of HIV care facilities in the Philippines that offer ART services.
