FDA approves a new preventive treatment against HIV

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new treatment to prevent HIV that could revolutionize the fight against AIDS. The announcement was made by Gilead Sciences, the lab that developed the drug.

"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 eradicate the HIV epidemic," said Daniel O'Day, president and chief executive officer of Gilead Sciences.

It is Yeztugo (lenacapavir), an injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor. It was approved as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg.

"This makes it the first and only option available in the United States, to be administered twice a year, for those who need or want to receive PrEP. Data show that ≥99.9% of participants who received Yeztugo in the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials remained HIV-negative," the lab explained.