- Nigeria to receive Lenacapavir HIV prevention drug
- Drug is 100% effective in clinical trials
- Injectable treatment administered twice a year
- Expected to cost $40 per person annually
Nigeria is on the verge of a major breakthrough in the fight against HIV/AIDS with the upcoming arrival of Lenacapavir, a highly effective prevention drug. The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has announced that the country will take delivery of the drug, which has shown 100% effectiveness in preventing HIV infection in clinical trials.
According to NACA, the agency has secured regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for the introduction and rollout of Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). This move is part of the government’s commitment to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress toward epidemic control.
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“The Government of Nigeria is advancing preparations for the introduction and rollout of Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). This is part of the government’s commitment to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress toward epidemic control,” NACA stated.
Lenacapavir is an injectable treatment administered twice a year, making it a more convenient alternative to daily oral prevention drugs. The drug is expected to be available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an affordable price of $40 per person annually, thanks to voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
With approximately 1.9 million people living with HIV in Nigeria, the arrival of Lenacapavir is a significant milestone in the country’s fight against the disease. The country recorded 74,000 new HIV infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021.
NACA has achieved significant milestones, including completion of landscape and readiness assessments across ten states and regulatory approval by NAFDAC. The commodities are expected in the country in March 2026.