EU approves semi-annual HIV prevention treatment

The European Commission has granted US pharmaceutical company Gilead approval to market a new preventive HIV treatment, the company announced on Tuesday.

The treatment consists of a six-monthly injection, which can be administered during routine doctor’s visits. It offers a simpler alternative to existing methods, which require either daily pills or injections every two months. In Europe, the drug will be sold under the brand name Yeytuo.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had already issued a positive opinion in July. The injection was also approved in the United States in June, where it is marketed as Yeztugo.

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99.9% risk reduction

According to Gilead, clinical trials showed the treatment reduced the risk of HIV infection in adults and adolescents by more than 99.9 per cent. Experts say it could mark a breakthrough in HIV prevention, though concerns remain about affordability and access. In the US, Yeztugo costs more than 28,000 dollars (about 24,000 euros) annually.

Around 25,000 new HIV cases are recorded in Europe each year, according to professor Jean-Michel Molina, an infectious disease specialist cited in Gilead’s press release. “This number clearly shows that current prevention methods are not working for everyone who needs them,” he said.

^{PHOTO © Daniel LEAL / AFP}

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