South Africa has become the first African country to register a new twice-yearly HIV prevention jab, lenacapavir (LEN), making it only the third nation worldwide to do so. This significant development is expected to play a crucial role in the country’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. According to health experts, if enough people have access to the LEN injection, it could potentially lead to the eradication of HIV/AIDS in South Africa within 14 to 18 years.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has given rapid approval to the LEN jab, paving the way for the health department to start providing citizens with the shot. The health department plans to begin rolling out access to the jab as early as February next year. However, the initial doses will be covered by a $29.2 million grant from the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB, and Malaria, which will only be enough to provide 456,360 people with the jab over a two-year period.
This is a significant shortfall, considering that South Africa would need one to two million doses per year to meet its goal of ending AIDS within 18 years. The country has a high prevalence of HIV, with approximately eight million people living with the virus, and around 1,000 adolescent girls and young women becoming newly infected every week. The LEN jab offers almost full-proof protection for HIV-negative individuals who weigh 35kg or more against contracting the virus through sex.
Early data also indicates that the jab is safe for use by pregnant and breastfeeding women, who are at a higher risk of contracting HIV. Sahpra has emphasized that lenacapavir should always be used in combination with safer sex practices, such as using condoms, to reduce the risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases.
The registration of lenacapavir has been hailed as a game-changer by Sahpra’s CEO, Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, given the high prevalence rate of HIV in South Africa. The Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, has announced plans to integrate lenacapavir into domestic financing mechanisms, with manufacturers Gilead and six pharmaceutical companies producing the jab for $40 per person per year. This is a significant reduction from the initial price of $28,000. The government is also actively pursuing local manufacturing capabilities, with partnerships with the Gates Foundation and pharmaceutical companies to produce generic versions of the jab.