An announcement made by the U.S. Department of State-President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to bring U.S.-based Gilead Sciences’ breakthrough drug lenacapavir to market in high-burden HIV countries has excited the National AIDS Commission-(NAC) saying it is a sigh of relief to most affected countries including Malawi.
The PEPFAR support is expected to reach up to 2 million people by 2028 with Lenacapavir and will promote global scale in production and distribution of the medication and catalyze further global investment. As the coordinator of the National HIV and AIDS Response in Malawi, the National AIDS Commission is excited about the news and is optimistic that Malawi will benefit from this initiative.. “We will be eagerly awaiting developments and will continue our advocacy efforts at the highest levels”, said NAC’s Director of Programmes Mrs. Chimwemwe Mablekisi.
She stated that Lenacapavir is a highly effective drug for Pre-exposure prophylaxis, and if rolled out in Malawi, it could significantly accelerate the country’s efforts to achieve the UNAIDS goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. This method only requires administering two injections per year (every six months), which will likely increase the uptake of PrEP and address the challenges of poor adherence and low retention. NAC believes the potential impact of this initiative is very promising for the fight against HIV in Malawi. Since the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health and NAC have joined global advocacy lobbying for the reduction of the cost of Lenacapavir for low and middle-income countries as well as financial resources to make this drug available in the country.
We are glad that our voices have reached the ears of one of the major health donors and a long-time partner with Malawi”, added Mrs. Mablekisi.
Currently, Ministry of Health, National AIDS Commission and relevant stakeholders are revising the National PrEP guidelines and standard operating procedures to include Lenacapavir. The communication plan and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools will also be updated to incorporate all types of PrEP, including Lenacapavir. Additionally, MOH will soon conduct a cost-benefit analysis for Lenacapavir alongside other new health technologies, as part of standard processes.
Recently, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) signed an access agreement with Gilead Sciences to procure lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable for HIV prevention, for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
This marked the first time in history that an HIV prevention product will be introduced in LMICs at the same time as in high-income countries — a significant milestone for global health equity.
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