There’s a new tool to help prevent HIV in people who are at risk of contracting the virus, and health experts say it has the potential to change the trajectory of the global epidemic and may be especially beneficial for some older adults.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the twice-yearly injection lenacapavir, marketed as Yeztugo, for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive treatment that helps stop HIV infection before it starts. Other forms of PrEP that are available include daily pills, like Truvada, or a shot that’s given every other month, known as Apretude.
Dr. Joe Eron, co-director of the Clinical Trials Unit at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and director of the Clinical Core at the UNC Center for AIDS Research, led UNC’s lenacapavir trials. He was interviewed by AARP.