Gilead announced today that the PURPOSE 2 study of twice yearly
lenacapavir injections as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduced
HIV infections by 96% compared to daily oral PrEP. Fenway Health
was a PURPOSE 2 study trial site.
BOSTON, Sept. 12,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Gilead announced today
that the PURPOSE 2 study of twice yearly lenacapavir injections as
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduced HIV infections by 96% among
cisgender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM)
and transgender and non-binary individuals who have sex with men.
There were 2 incident HIV infections among 2,180 participants who
received twice yearly lenacapravir injections, corresponding to
99.9% of participants not acquiring HIV infection in the
lenacapavir group. This follows the results of the PURPOSE 1 study
which was unblinded earlier this year after it showed lenacapivir's
strong efficacy among cisgender women in sub-saharan Africa. You can read Gilead's press release
here.
Lenacapravir is a major advance, since it
provides a highly effective PrEP option that can be delivered
subcutaneously twice a year.
The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health was one of the US trial
sites for PURPOSE 2 and the only site in New England recruiting
transgender and non-binary participants for the study.
"As researchers based at Fenway Health, the largest provider of
PrEP in New England, we are excited by the results of the PURPOSE 2
study, in which we participated, which enrolled men who have sex
with men and transgender people. The findings that lenacapravir
provided very high efficacy and superiority compared to a daily
oral PrEP regimen are stunning, since they complement the
impressive results from the PURPOSE-1 study in cisgender African
women," said Kenneth Mayer, MD,
Medical Research Director at Fenway Health and Co-chair of The
Fenway Institute. "
"Lenacapravir is a major advance, since it provides a highly
effective PrEP option that can be delivered subcutaneously twice a
year. Prior work suggests that the more PrEP options we can
provide, the more effectively we will be in protecting the largest
number of people against HIV. We hope that with data from a second
well-conducted trial in a different population than the original
trial, that the FDA will be able to move expeditiously for product
approval."
Fenway is currently enrolling participants in PURPOSE 3, which
will help to understand if lenacapavir, can be used by cisgender
women in the US to help prevent acquiring HIV through sex.
Founded in 1971, Fenway Health advocates for and delivers
innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services,
and transformative research and education. We center LGBTQIA+
people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities to
enable our local, national, and global neighbors to flourish. The
Fenway Institute at Fenway Health is an interdisciplinary center
for research, training, education and policy development focusing
on national and international health issues.
Media Contact
Christopher A Viveiros, Fenway Health, 6179276342,
cviveiros@fenwayhealth.org, www.fenwayhealth.org
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SOURCE Fenway Health