Gilead shot prevents 100% of HIV cases in trial of African women

Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental twice-yearly shot prevented 100% of HIV cases in women and adolescent girls in Africa, the first successful big trial of what’s hoped to become a powerful new drug regimen for fending off the virus.

Gilead hopes its new long-acting shot lenacapavir will provide an easier-to-use option compared to other HIV prevention drugs that are either daily pills or must be injected every two months. The two yearly injections could be done at regularly scheduled doctor visits, making it easy for people to get.

HIV newly infects about 1.3 million people a year worldwide, and while current drug treatment is effective, researchers are seeking better ways to prevent the potentially lethal disease. While a vaccine has not been developed, Gilead’s latest drug prevention regimen presents a potential option.

Gilead shares rose as much as 5.8% in New York, the most intraday since August.

The trial involved about 5,300 women and female adolescents ages 16 to 25 in South Africa and Uganda, some of whom who received Gilead lenacapavir, and others who received older once-daily drugs from Gilead, including Truvada or Descovy.

No cases of HIV occurred among women in the trial who received the twice-yearly shot, Gilead said in the statement, significantly lower than the background rate of infections in those populations. The shot was also superior to once-daily Truvada, another Gilead drug that is used for HIV prevention.

Gilead is conducting a second prevention trial of lenacapavir in men who have sex with men, as well as transgender women and transgender men. That trial, which also includes people in the US, is expected to yield results as soon as late this year. If successful, Gilead expects to file for regulatory approval for preventive lenacapavir in the U.S. and other countries.

Lenacapavir is approved under the brand name Sunlenca to treat HIV that’s resistant to other medicines.