Gilead Sciences' twice-yearly HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug lenacapavir became available in Hainan, China's Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone on 25 July, marking near-global synchronous access to this first-in-class capsid inhibitor. The long-acting injectable, which reduces HIV-1 infection risk via sexual exposure, was recently added to the World Health Organization (WHO) PrEP guidelines based on Phase III PURPOSE trials showing >99.9% efficacy in maintaining HIV-negative status.

Lenacapavir's unique mechanism disrupts viral capsid assembly, providing six-month protection per dose — a significant advance over daily oral PrEP regimens and with potential to improve adherence and privacy for high-risk groups in China, where HIV incidence reached 102,000 cases in 2024. The launch complements existing oral PrEP options like Truvada and Descovy (emtricitabine + tenofovir), expanding China's HIV prevention toolkit amid efforts to curb sexual transmission, which accounts for over 90% of new infections.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, Gilead's lenacapavir will enjoy leadership of the HIV-1 capsid inhibitor sector for many years as the six other active projects are mostly in early stages of development. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.