The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recommended the use of a newly approved HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, marking a major shift in the global fight against HIV infections. The announcement was made on July 14 during the 13th International AIDS Society Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
The WHO’s new guidance urges countries to adopt lenacapavir—particularly in regions with high HIV prevalence and among populations at greater risk—as a powerful addition to their HIV prevention strategies. The recommendation comes at a time of growing concern over dwindling global funding for HIV programmes.
A New Era in HIV Prevention
Lenacapavir, sold under the brand names Sunlenca for treatment and Yeztugo for prevention, is a long-acting injectable medication that only needs to be administered twice a year. It works by targeting the HIV capsid, a key structural protein, effectively blocking the virus from replicating in the body.
Initially approved in 2022 for treatment of specific HIV infections, lenacapavir has since shown remarkable success in clinical trials for prevention. It was found to offer near-total protection against HIV infection, offering a promising alternative to the daily pills many users find hard to maintain.
WHO’s Official Endorsement
Dr. Meg Doherty, director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes, described the recommendations as practical and aimed at real-world impact.
“Our first recommendation is that the long-acting injectable lenacapavir should be made available as an additional prevention option for people at risk of HIV, as part of a combination prevention approach,” she said. “We’re calling it a strong recommendation based on moderate to high certainty of the evidence.”
WHO also recommends the use of rapid HIV tests—including self-testing kits—at key stages of PrEP use, such as before starting, during continuation, or when discontinuing long-acting medications like lenacapavir.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed lenacapavir as “the next best thing” to an HIV vaccine. The new recommendation expands the current arsenal of WHO-endorsed prevention tools, which already includes: Daily oral PrEP, Bi-monthly cabotegravir injections, and the dapivirine vaginal ring.
To support wider use of injectable PrEP like lenacapavir, WHO has also streamlined HIV testing protocols to make access easier through community clinics, pharmacies, and even telehealth platforms.
With lenacapavir now added to the global toolkit, health experts see new hope for reducing infections—especially in hard-to-reach communities where adherence to daily medication can be a challenge.
