The U.S. has approved the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, maker Gilead Sciences announced Wednesday. It’s the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions – although it’s unclear how many in the U.S. and abroad will get access to the powerful new option.

While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot — a drug called lenacapvir — could be the next best thing. It nearly eliminated new infections in two groundbreaking studies of people at high risk, better than daily preventive pills they can forget to take.

“This really has the possibility of ending HIV transmission,” said Greg Millett, public policy director at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

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[–] 60 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Just waiting for RFK jr to revoke this approval on the basis that it can't prevent gay people from doing poppers, so it must not work.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    He probably believes poppers are the real cause of AIDS since that was a conspiracy theory for awhile.

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  • [–] 28 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    In the US it will cost $30,000 per year of treatment, while a generic version could be sold for $40 and still be massively profitable.

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  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    “Gilead” sciences.

    Yikes.

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  • [–] 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Formed in 1987, two years after Margaret Atwood published The Handmaid's Tale.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Approved by AI or scientists?

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Quick poll, Under this current admin, the stance by RFK jr., and with their open stance of LGBQT+ community; will you trust them enough to take this vaccine?

    I really am interested to see the responses.

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  • [–] 22 points 1 year ago

    Unfortunately, it's not a vaccine. It's similar to the Depo Provera shot in that it releases the active medication over a long time from a gel injected into a muscle, but it doesn't grant immunity when the drug is not present in the system the way a vaccine would.

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  • [+] -48 points 1 year ago (19 children)
  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Do you know for a fact there's not a medical reason for splitting it into two doses?

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  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    Imagine the business unit telling the scientists “sorry, we can’t put out your vaccine, please alter it” and the scientists replying with anything other than “go fuck yourself, I’m selling this for millions to someone else” lol

    There’s no conspiracy to prevent an HIV vaccine

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    My Nurse Practitioner was telling me yesterday they are studying the right dosage to make it just 1 shot a year. So hopefully on the way when they figure that out

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*

    Yeah, this stuff takes time to work out. As long as the side effects aren't a big deal, they might err on the side of too much.

    Covid vaccines were something of an exception because they were motivated and infections were widespread. Lots of chances to get good data. Treatments for other diseases don't have those advantages.

    The HPV vax, for example, was released in 2016 on a three dose schedule. There's some studies out there that argue two doses would be plenty, but it's not a consensus, either. That's after almost a decade.

    PrEP is already keeping HIV infection rates pretty low, at least in rich countries where there's money to do these studies. Not going to be good data on dose schedules for many, many years. Maybe even decades.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago* (5 children)

    I mean, the scientists could not legally sell it to someone else. They're employed by the pharmaceutical company who owns their research.

    But you're right, being the first company to beat HIV would be worth way more than whatever profits you're making off the drug. Same with cancer.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    If they say “we won’t pursue your drug you discovered” then you 100% can pursue it elsewhere

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    It isn't a vaccine. It's a slow-release compound like the Depo Provera shot that is used for birth control. It's an amazing option for people who have trouble with daily pills for any reason and it's more effective than the PrEP pills available on the market today.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    FTA:

    "U.S. list price, meaning before insurance, is $28,218 a year"

    Same price regardless, 1 or 2 shots. It's per year, not per shot.

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  • You clearly have not read the article, and thus don’t understand that the prophylactic nature of the shot requires a 6-month administration cycle. Like when you get a flu shot, or a Covid vaccine. Or (with current PrEP meds) a pill that you take every day.

    Read the article.

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