The immunologist named the conditions for stopping the HIV epidemic when using a new drug

A new drug for HIV prevention can stop the epidemic of the virus worldwide. However, for this, it must be massively used. At the first stage, this may be hindered by the high cost of the drug, which costs more than $40,000 per year per patient. In addition, the drug is able to protect against infection, but it cannot cure an already infected patient. Immunologist Mikhail Bolkov told about this in an interview with Izvestia.

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The American company Gilead Science has received approval for its HIV prevention drug from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now the drug lenacapavir, which prevents infection with the virus, can enter the market.

"Lenacapavir, developed by Gilead Sciences, has shown 100% efficacy in clinical trials. That is, when taking medication, a person can be sure that they will not become infected with HIV, even in the case of unprotected sexual contact with an infected person. Technically, it stops the development of the virus in humans, does not allow it to multiply. The new drug could stop the development of the HIV epidemic in the world or at least reduce its pace, but its use needs to become widespread. It won't happen instantly. After all, the medicine works only as prevention, not as treatment," Mikhail Bolkov said.

The specialist recalled that the smallpox virus was defeated only after almost the entire population of the planet had been vaccinated.

Read more in Mikhail Bolkov's exclusive interview with Izvestia:

"A new HIV drug can stop the epidemic, but it must become widespread"