Poorer countries granted access to HIV prevention drug

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) pill. [AFP]

Low-income countries 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 group set up to battle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, described the deal to procure lenacapavir for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) 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 on Wednesday.

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 last month.

Drugs to prevent HIV transmission, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or 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.

By contrast, lenacapavir, marketed under the brand name Yeztugo, requires only two injections per year and has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent in adults and adolescents -- making it functionally akin to a powerful vaccine.

"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 was 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," South African 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."