The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new HIV prevention treatment that requires only two doses per year. The injectable medication, called Yeztugo (generic name: lenacapavir), is made by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. It offers long-term protection against HIV and has been shown to be highly effective in clinical trials.
Yeztugo currently offers the longest-lasting protection available as a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV transmitted through sexual contact. Unlike older medications like Truvada, which must be taken daily, Yeztugo only requires an injection once every six months.
In trials conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, the results were very promising. After using Yeztugo, more than 99.9% of participants stayed HIV-negative. This marks a major improvement over Truvada (a combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil), which was the standard daily PrEP for many years.
Yeztugo works differently than most current HIV drugs. It targets the virus’s capsid, the protein shell that protects the virus. By interfering with multiple stages of the virus’s life cycle including entering cells and forming new viral particles Yeztugo helps prevent infection in a unique way. Importantly, it also avoids cross-resistance with other HIV drugs, making it an effective option for people who have taken other treatments in the past.
Because it only needs to be taken twice a year, Yeztugo is expected to help more people stay on track with their HIV prevention plan. This is especially important for those who find it difficult to remember or afford daily pills.
Since 2022, the drug has been used under a different name, Sunlenca. In that form, it was approved for people living with HIV who couldn’t be treated effectively with existing drugs.
Despite its benefits, some experts warn that Yeztugo is not a perfect solution. Dr. Dennis Liotta of Emory University notes that it may not be suitable for everyone. Joint pain has been reported as a side effect, and this medication interacts with more than 100 other drugs. Because of these issues, it may be best suited for younger, healthier people who aren’t taking many other drugs.
Another concern is cost. Yeztugo is likely to be costly, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It’s unlikely that cheaper, generic versions will be available soon due to Gilead’s patent protections. This could limit access in regions where HIV prevention is most needed.
Despite this, Yeztugo is expected to do well commercially. Analysts estimate the drug could bring in over $100 million in US sales in 2025 and grow to $1.5 billion by 2028. It will compete with other long-acting PrEP drugs like GSK’s Apretude, which is given every two months, and Gilead’s own daily pill, Descovy, which earned over $2 billion in 2024.
While a true HIV vaccine is still not available, Yeztugo represents a big step forward in HIV prevention.
Yeztugo offers new hope in the fight against HIV. With only two shots annually, prevention becomes simpler and more dependable for many individuals. While challenges like cost and access remain, this breakthrough brings us one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic for good.
