South Africa Approves HIV Prevention Jab Providing Six Months of Protection

Strategic Insights -

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has approved an HIV prevention jab that provides six months of protection at a time, paving the way for a limited public sector rollout in April 2026. The "game-changing" shot, which contains the antiretroviral drug lenacapavir, has been hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against HIV. The jab has already been recognized as "breakthrough of the year" for 2024 by the journal Science.

Key Takeaways:

  • The HIV prevention jab, containing lenacapavir, provides six months of protection at a time and has been approved by SAHPRA.
  • The jab is a game-changer in the fight against HIV, offering a convenient alternative to daily HIV prevention pills.
  • SAHPRA's registration process was unusually fast, taking around eight months, due to collaboration with the European Medicines for All Procedure (EU-M4all).
  • The jab is intended to reduce the risk of HIV in adults and adolescents who are HIV-negative and at risk of getting HIV, and should be used in combination with safer sex practices.
  • A limited rollout of the jab is planned for April 2026, targeting high-incidence districts and prioritizing populations at highest risk of HIV, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescent girls, and young key populations.
  • Generic drug manufacturers from India will start offering the jab at a price of $40 per person per year from 2027, which is lower than the current price of HIV prevention pills.
  • Activists have raised questions about the lack of price transparency for the jab, with Gilead selling lenacapavir for around $28,000 per person per year in the United States.

Statistics:

  • 450,000 people are estimated to receive the HIV prevention option in the first year, far less than the 1-2 million people required to make an impact on South Africa's epidemic.
  • The South African government will pay $60 per person per year for the jab until generic options become available in 2027.
  • Gilead sells lenacapavir for around $28,000 per person per year in the United States.
  • The price of generic lenacapavir from India will be $40 per person per year from 2027.

Sources:

  • South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)
  • Science journal
  • Doctors without borders (MSF)
  • Gilead
  • European Medicines for All Procedure (EU-M4all)
  • AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)
  • Government of South Africa's Department of Health