/
RSS Feed
South Africa has become the first country in Africa — and only the third worldwide — to approve a new twice-yearly HIV prevention injection.
Health authorities believe the jab, known as lenacapavir (LEN), could help end the country’s HIV/Aids epidemic within 14 to 18 years if rolled out widely.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) granted rapid approval for the injectable drug, paving the way for the Health Department to begin distribution as early as February next year.
Initial doses will be funded through a $29.2 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB, and Malaria, enough to provide treatment for about 456,000 people over two years. However, experts say South Africa would need one to two million doses annually to eliminate Aids within two decades.
An estimated eight million South Africans are currently living with HIV, and roughly 1,000 adolescent girls and young women are newly infected each week.
Lenacapavir offers near-complete protection for HIV-negative individuals weighing over 35kg, preventing transmission through sex. Early studies also show it is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, one of the most at-risk groups.
Sahpra emphasised that the injection should be used alongside safer sex practices, including condom use, to prevent other sexually transmitted infections.
“The registration of lenacapavir is a game-changer, given the high prevalence of HIV in South Africa. This product is the most effective HIV prevention measure to date,” said Sahpra CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the government plans to integrate the jab into national health financing mechanisms. The drug’s manufacturer, Gilead, has agreed with six pharmaceutical partners to produce it at $40 per person per year, a dramatic reduction from the initial $28,000 price.
Motsoaledi added that generic versions will be developed in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, while South Africa pursues local manufacturing capacity to ensure long-term supply and affordability.
