Scientists develop new drug for virus affecting lakhs each year, offers 99.9% protection with two injections, it is priced at Rs...

More than a million people are infected every year with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), despite decades of work towards the virus' treatment. However, in a major breakthrough, the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug, lenacapavir, a long-acting medicine offering almost complete protection against HIV, which causes the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). So far, most HIV treatments have required daily pill intake, a routine many struggle to follow.

What did the company say?
"This is a historic day in the decades-long fight against HIV. Yeztugo is one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of our time and offers a very real opportunity to help end the HIV epidemic," said Daniel O'Day, the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Gilead Sciences, the company which developed the drug. "This is a medicine that only needs to be given twice a year and has shown remarkable outcomes in clinical studies, which means it could transform HIV prevention. Gilead scientists have made it their life's work to end HIV, and now, with the FDA approval of Yeztugo and in collaboration with our many partners, we can help to make that goal a reality."

What was reported in clinical trials?
Lenacapavir, marketed under the brand name Yeztugo, has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by over 99.9 percent in adults and adolescents. The company conducted two large clinical trials for the drug. The first, involving more than 2,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa, resulted in a 100 percent dip in infections. In the second trial, involving over 2,000 men and gender-diverse people, only two infections were reported, marking a 99.9 percent prevention rate.
Side effects reported by participants included injection site reactions, headache, and nausea.

How much will it cost?
Results from both the said trials were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, with the Science journal naming lenacapavir its 2024 "Breakthrough of the Year."
However, the drug is expected to come at a hefty price tag. Even though Gilead hasn't released a price for Yeztugo as yet, analysts say a US launch could be as high as USD 25,000 a year or more than Rs 21 lakh, as per today's currency exchange rate. Activists around the world are appealing to Gilead to drastically cut the price to help end the HIV pandemic.