icon-    folder.gif   Conference Reports for NATAP  
 
  Conference on Retroviruses
and Opportunistic Infections
San Francisco, CA
March 9-12 2025
Back grey_arrow_rt.gif
 
 
 
First Clinical Data for Gilead's Investigational Once-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention Presented at CROI 2025 and Published in The Lancet
 
 
  - Phase 1 Data Indicate Potential for Use of Once-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention, with Plans to Launch a Phase 3 Trial in 2H 2025 -
 
- Also at CROI: New PURPOSE 1 Data Showcasing Preference for Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir vs. Once-Daily Orals and In-Depth Look at Adolescent Pharmacokinetic, Safety and Efficacy Data
 
- FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today presented the first data from its ongoing Phase 1 study investigating two novel, once-yearly formulations of lenacapavir, the company's injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, for the investigational use of HIV prevention as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The data were presented during an oral abstract session at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2025) and were also published today in The Lancet . Data will support the future development of once-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP, for which Gilead plans to launch a Phase 3 study in the second half of 2025.>
 
The Phase 1 study data showed that the two different formulations of once-yearly lenacapavir administered via intramuscular injection achieved and maintained plasma concentrations exceeding those associated with HIV prevention efficacy observed in the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial (NCT04994509) and PURPOSE 2 trial (NCT04925752). The previously reported PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 data showed that twice-yearly subcutaneous lenacapavir demonstrated superiority at reducing HIV infections when compared to background HIV incidence (bHIV) and once-daily oral Truvada® (emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg; F/TDF) in a broad and geographically diverse range of people. "Gilead is continuing to innovate in our work to develop additional person-centered long-acting injectable and oral options to help people find an HIV prevention choice that is right for them," said Jared Baeten, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Virology Therapeutic Area Head, Gilead Sciences. "Once-yearly lenacapavir, if approved, could become an important new HIV prevention option that could help address PrEP adherence and persistence challenges for individuals who need or want PrEP around the world.">
 
Promising once-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP pharmacokinetic profiles over 52 weeks The Phase 1 study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of two intramuscular single-dose 5000mg lenacapavir formulations. The trial included 40 healthy adults at low risk of HIV acquisition, between the ages of 18 and 55 years, with a body mass index of less than or equal to 35.0 kg/m2 .>
 
Lenacapavir plasma concentrations for participants remained above the 95% effective concentration for at least 56 weeks with both formulations. Furthermore, median trough concentrations of both formulations of once-yearly lenacapavir at Week 52 (57.0 ng/mL and 65.6 ng/mL) were higher than those observed with twice-yearly lenacapavir in the PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials at Week 26 (23.4 ng/mL). Data from the study confirmed that both once-yearly formulations of lenacapavir warrant further investigation.>
 
Safety data demonstrated both formulations of once-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP were well tolerated, with no new safety signals
 
Once-yearly lenacapavir is being investigated as an intramuscular injection. This is different from the subcutaneous formulation of lenacapavir, which is being investigated for twice-yearly dosing. The most commonly reported adverse event for both intramuscular formulations studied was injection site pain, which was mostly mild in severity and resolved within 1 week (occurred in 80% of participants receiving formulation 1, and 75% receiving formulation 2), and was reduced by pretreatment with an ice pack. Medication-emergent adverse events were similar Between the two cohorts and mostly mild to moderate in severity.
 
New PrEP modality preference data demonstrate preference for twice-yearly lenacapavir vs. once-daily orals in PURPOSE 1 survey participants
 
New quantitative survey data and late-breaking qualitative survey data from the PURPOSE 1 trial, evaluating twice-yearly subcutaneous lenacapavir for PrEP among cisgender women in sub-Saharan Africa, were also presented at CROI in two poster sessions. An interim analysis of surveys included 2,561 trial participants' self-reported preferences for twice-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP injections and once-daily pills, with approximately two-thirds of survey respondents preferring twice-yearly lenacapavir at Week 52 of their trial participation, compared to fewer than one-third of respondents preferring once-daily pills. Additionally, at Week 52, most respondents (61%) reported they would feel more protected from HIV with twice-yearly PrEP injections compared with once-daily pills, and 61% of respondents also reported they would feel more confident about not missing a PrEP dose with twice-yearly injections compared with once-daily pills. Qualitative data among 108 participants also showed that respondents, particularly adolescents aged 16 and 17 years, noted that twice-yearly injections better suited their lifestyles compared with once-daily pills.>
 
New study population data from PURPOSE 1 show comparable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles for both adolescent and adult trial participants
 
Additional adolescent-related data from the PURPOSE 1 trial were also presented at CROI yesterday during an oral abstract session and press conference. PURPOSE 1 is the first adult Phase 3 HIV prevention trial to intentionally include adolescents aged 16 and 17 years, and trial enrollment was much higher than in typical adolescent-dedicated studies (124 adolescents, 56 of whom were assigned to the lenacapavir group). The data showed that observed lenacapavir plasma concentrations were comparable between adolescent and adult trial groups, with participants in both groups experiencing the same most common adverse events. There were zero incident HIV infections across the adolescent and adult groups receiving lenacapavir. Given these results, data submitted to regulatory authorities support the potential use of twice-yearly lenacapavir for adolescents who need or want PrEP>
 
The use of lenacapavir for the prevention of HIV is investigational and has not been determined to be safe or efficacious and is not approved anywhere globally. There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS.
 
Full press release:
 
https://www.gilead.com/news/news-details/2025/gilead-presents-new-hiv-treatment-and-cure-research-data-at-croi-2025-including-an-investigational-long-acting-twice-yearly-therapy-option