It is about a treatment that starts with two tablets and then continues with injections once every six months. It has in studies proven to be very effective in preventing a person from being infected by the virus.
The medicine, which contains the substance lenakapavir, works by binding to proteins in the HIV virus shell and making it unable to reproduce.
EMA has recommended that the treatment be approved for use in adults and adolescents who are at high risk of being infected with HIV. For the medicine, which is marketed under the name Yeytuo, to be approved, a decision from the EU Commission is required, which usually follows EMA's line.
The medicine has at the same time been reviewed within the framework of a program aimed at faster access in countries outside the EU where the need may be great.
HIV infection is a major public health problem, with over 1.3 million new infections globally in 2024, of which 160,000 in Europe and 650,000 in Africa. The medicine can, according to EMA, contribute to preventing infections and thus reducing the spread of the virus. The fact that the treatment is only given twice a year makes it easier to follow than those that need to be taken daily.
