By Chipo Brenda
Ugandans have welcomed the new drug that prevents the spread of HIV and AIDs after receiving news about Lenacapavir which will be administered twice annually.
Lenacapavir is a new drug that has been under research in various counties including Uganda and South Africa and of now it has been approved by the world food and drug administration.
Speaking with health journalists, the lead researcher in Uganda Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa from the Makerere University John Hopkins University says that the drug has proven efficiency of 100%.
“The study focused on the young and active girls who meet the male counterparts at least twice in a month to have sexual pleasure,” we needed people who are active and not bound to lie. States Dr. Matovu.
Doctor Matovu says that Lenacapavir was first approved by the world food and drug administration and it first gave way for Lenacapavir to treat HIV in the year 2022.
Doctor Matovu clarifies that it is now an appropriate ideal for patients who have failed the first line, second, and third, Lenacapavir comes in as a ray of hope while others refer to it as a miracle drug following the positive outcomes to patients who had lost hope in life.
Speaking with the Buvuma Island Member of Parliament Robert Ndugwa Migadde says that the good news about this drug should come along with sensitization because some people might become wild after and neglect their lives.
“Some people are funny instead of being faithful to their partners, they will think of the six-month drug but you should know that the government also spends a lot to treat its people so everyone ought to be careful with life” cautions MP Migadde.
Dr Asiimwe Stephen, the Uganda AIDS Commission UAC HIV Prevention Officer has welcomed the good news but insists that its availability will depend on people’s demand.
He adds that as UAC can never come out to determine the pricing of the drug but once many people come out demanding it then we believe that it will be subsidized at the local market.
Dr. Asiimwe says that with the coming of this new drug, he calls upon all those on ARVs to not give up taking them as they await for Lenacapavir to be brought to Ugandan government hospitals.
Nabanoba Alice Vivian, an HIV Activist with ACTS 101 and a person living with HIV says that it hurts for people to acquire the virus unknowingly but with the discoveries this is becoming more risky due to the prep provided by the government.
Nabaanoba further stresses the issue of sensation of the public saying that at times when they get to hospitals they are looked at as a problem yet the actual problem is the virus.
” Offer comprehensive coverage for people like us because we find it difficult to move from place to place to get the various services, with the stigma among our people at times they get fed-up seeing us everywhere” Nabanoba emphasizing the issue of comprehensive health care.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE
Dr.Flavia Matovu Kiweewa says that since Lenacapavir has proved its efficiency they as researchers are looking at the drug as a preventive means to HIV and AIDs.
Dr. Flavia Kiweewa adds that during the research they realized that once they add F-Taff to Lenacapavir then they can bring tremendous benefit by preventing the spread of HIV and AIDs among the population.
But it should be noted that F- Taff is used commonly between two people more so among men who have sex with their fellow men.
F-TAFF is one of the PREP methods used in the prevention of HIV in American countries.
WOMEN SIDE
It should be noted that women have not started taking F-Taff fully due to the following reasons;
Women can conceive and during that time one’s drug administration might end up not giving proper results.
Women who breastfeed, are not certain of how much the children can take in during the process of breastfeeding and how the drug reacts in both bodies of the child and adult might not be able to manage it.
Dr Flavia Matovu Kiweewa – Lenacapavir lead researcher in Uganda (MU-JHU Care Ltd) says that Gilead Science sponsored the research and it is in supply, especially to those who are involved themselves in the research.
She adds that here in Uganda, the drug awaits approval from the Uganda National Drug Authority.
LENACAPAVIR once brought on the market for use will replace Cabotegravir which was being used every two months.
ADMINISTERING THE DRUG
The drug forms a depo under the skin, it does not go everywhere at the same time but over time the drug is released and circulates through the body system.
While Lenacapavir is used, it is used alongside F-Taff as well to get better results.
Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral medication used in the treatment of HIV-1 (the virus responsible for AIDS). It belongs to a class of drugs called capsid inhibitors, which work by interfering with the HIV’s ability to replicate within human cells. Specifically, lenacapavir binds to the HIV-1 capsid protein, which plays a key role in the virus’s life cycle, preventing the virus from maturing and successfully replicating.
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