The U.S. Department of State announced on Apr. 14 the expansion of its partnership with Gilead Sciences and The Global Fund to increase access to lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable medication for HIV prevention. This effort aims to reach an additional one million people in countries with high rates of HIV by providing them with the two-dose annual regimen.
The initiative is part of ongoing efforts by the United States and its partners to reduce new HIV infections and work toward eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the virus. The Department said that, following this announcement, it and The Global Fund are committed to reaching three million people in high-burden countries with lenacapavir by 2028.
Lenacapavir has demonstrated a 99.9% effectiveness rate at preventing HIV in large-scale clinical trials, according to information released by the Department. Countries will be prioritized based on their current HIV burden and their ability to distribute and deliver the medication through existing health infrastructure.
In addition, the Department stated it will continue working alongside national governments on complementary initiatives designed to encourage uptake of lenacapavir, strengthen health systems, and advance progress toward ending mother-to-child transmission under what it called "the Trump Administration’s America First Global Heath Strategy."
The expanded partnership was described as evidence of “the United States’ enduring leadership in global health” as well as President Trump’s ongoing commitment “to ending Mother-to-Child HIV transmission by the end of his second term.”
Further details about lenacapavir and this international collaboration can be found through resources provided by Gilead Sciences and The Global Fund.
