Ugandan health researchers are calling upon the government to permit the use of Lenacapavir a drug that has been developed and welcomed globally in order to combat HIV/AIDS.
According to Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa the director of research at Makerere University–Johns Hopkins University (MUJHU) during a training session on December 6, 2024, for journalists covering health-related topics under the coalition of Health Journalism Network Uganda, injectable Lenacapavir was found to be useful for HIV prophylaxis.
“The discovery of Lenacapavir, an HIV prevention drug, in the United States is a game changer. Every six months, this drug is injected into the patient to prevent infection, even if the patient has sex with an HIV-positive individual,” Dr. Kiweewa said.
Kiweewa who assisted with the study trials stated that the drug has however not been approved by the Uganda National Drug Authority yet.
The drug was developed through a study conducted on 500 girls after it was found that they are the most susceptible to contracting HIV and that those who had the injection did not contract the virus, Dr. Kiweewa revealed.
Early results from an HIV prevention trial showed that injectable Lenacapavir given twice a year can prevent HIV infection.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently working on developing guidelines for lenacapavir’s use based on the said promising results and collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure equitable access if approved, scientists say that the drug is capable of ending new infections before 2030.
