27/11/2025
HIV prevention drug coming soon
By Elizabeth Sitotombe
ZIMBABWE has taken a decisive step in strengthening its HIV prevention strategy with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) granting expedited approval for Lenacapavir, a long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine hailed as a breakthrough in HIV prevention science.
Cleared in just 23 days, the decision positions Zimbabwe among the first African countries to fast-track access to a twice-yearly HIV prevention option that could transform adherence and expand protection for vulnerable populations. The application by Gilead, submitted on October 29 2025, underwent a rigorous scientific review before being approved under MCAZ’s accelerated regulatory pathway, reserved for products of significant public health importance.
Gilead Sciences, the company behind the application, is a global biopharmaceutical firm headquartered in the US and renowned for pioneering HIV prevention and treatment medicines. Over the past three decades, the company has developed several of the world’s leading antiretroviral therapies and continues to invest heavily in long-acting HIV prevention technologies such as Lenacapavir, making it one of the most influential players in the global HIV response. Lenacapavir is administered as a single subcutaneous injection every six months after a short initiation phase consisting of one injection and two oral tablets.
The regimen is recommended for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg who are HIV-negative but at substantial risk of HIV acquisition. It must be used alongside safer s*x practices, including consistent condom use and behavioural risk reduction. By offering protection that does not rely on daily pill-taking, Lenacapavir introduces a new prevention choice for individuals who struggle with adherence to daily oral PrEP.
Research from various African settings has shown that long-acting prevention key population groups that continue to experience disproportionately higher HIV incidence. Zimbabwe, like many countries in Southern Africa, has made impressive progress in reducing HIV infection rates over the past decade.
Yet thousands of new infections continue to occur annually, largely driven by inconsistent condom use, limited PrEP adherence and the overlapping burden of untreated s*xually transmitted infections (STIs). Public health experts warn that even with powerful biomedical tools like Lenacapavir, safer s*x practices remain crucial.
Zimbabwe continues to record high rates of common STIs, such as syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and ge***al herpes. These infections increase the biological risk of acquiring HIV often present without symptoms, leading to delayed treatment and contribute to ongoing community transmission, especially among young people.
International health agencies estimate that individuals with an untreated...
Read more:https://www.thepatriot.co.zw/health/hiv-prevention-drug-coming-soon/
