The US authorities have approved an injection vaccine for preventing HIV and AIDS disease.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Gilead Sciences’ new drug, Lenacapavir.
The drug is a twice-yearly injection for preventing HIV infection in adults and adolescents, offering an alternative to daily pills called Truvada.
The approved drug will be marketed under the brand name Yeztugo.
Lenacapavir belongs to a new class of antiretrovirals known as capsid inhibitors.
A twice-a-year treatment could reach substantially more people, especially those who face stigma for taking daily medication.
According to calculations by a researcher, the drug might be mass-produced for just $25 for two biannual doses, based on the current manufacturing costs.
Gilead signed royalty-free licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers last year whom they will work to provide lower-cost versions of lenacapavir to 120 lower-income countries with a high incidence of HIV.
This will come as a relief to Kenyans, who have been among the countries that have suffered a shortage of HIV life-saving drugs precipitated by a decision by US President Donald Trump to pause US foreign aid after he was sworn in as the president in January.
