[See POZ’s report on the PURPOSE 1 trial here.]

Today at AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, at a session beginning at 10:30 CEST, Linda-Gail Bekker presented full results from the PURPOSE 1 trial of twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention. The results confirm that lenacapavir demonstrated 100% efficacy for HIV prevention in cisgender women.

Following is a statement on the results from Sharon Lewin, President of IAS – the International AIDS Society, AIDS 2024 International Co-Chair and Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

“These data confirm that twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention is a breakthrough advance with huge public health potential. If approved and delivered – rapidly, affordably, and equitably – to those who need or want it, this long-acting tool could help accelerate global progress in HIV prevention. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of young women in South Africa and Uganda who volunteered to be part of this study.

“Now we eagerly await results from PURPOSE 2, which is assessing twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention in other populations and countries. In the meantime, all stakeholders must work together to accelerate equitable delivery of existing HIV prevention options, and do more to prepare for future options, such as lenacapavir for PrEP.

“Much of this work is underway this week at AIDS 2024, and will continue at HIVR4P 2024, the 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference, which will take place in Lima, Peru, and virtually from 6 to 10 October 2024.”