A new HIV prevention medication may significantly impact how older adults protect themselves from the virus—and the UNC Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) played a key role in its development.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable medication marketed as Yeztugo, for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Unlike current PrEP options—such as daily oral pills like Truvada, or bimonthly injections like Apretude—lenacapavir only needs to be administered twice a year. This makes it the most infrequent and potentially most convenient PrEP option available to date. These clinical trials were led by Dr. Joe Eron, Director of the Clinical Core at the UNC CFAR and Co-Director of the Clinical Trials Unit at the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases.
HIV prevention efforts have traditionally focused on younger populations, but infection rates among adults over 50 have steadily increased in recent years. According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 6 new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. are now among people aged 50 and older. Yet many older adults remain unaware of their risk or are not engaged in preventive care. Lenacapavir’s twice-yearly schedule could remove key barriers for older adults—such as medication fatigue, mobility issues, or lack of routine engagement with HIV care providers. Additionally, its discreet nature may reduce stigma concerns, encouraging more individuals to explore PrEP as a prevention strategy.
With the approval of lenacapavir, healthcare providers can now offer a broader range of HIV prevention options tailored to individual needs and lifestyles. Older adults who are at risk or have questions about PrEP are encouraged to talk with their healthcare providers about whether this new option is right for them.