The European Commission authorized a twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV, following drugmaker Gilead’s announcement.
Regulators at the European Medicines Agency recommended the medicine one month earlier.
Officials hailed the approval as a major step in the fight against HIV across the European Union.
Yeytuo Marks Medical Milestone
The drug, named lenacapavir and branded as Yeytuo, prevents HIV from replicating in the body.
It offers protection for both adults and adolescents at risk of infection.
Clinical trials showed the jab achieved 100 per cent effectiveness against HIV transmission.
Experts called the twice-yearly option one of 2024’s most important medical advances.
The injection replaces daily pills, providing the EU’s first long-term PrEP choice.
Global Efforts and Rising Cases
Gilead confirmed applications for approval in Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, and Australia.
The company will also expand submissions to Mexico, Argentina, and Peru.
It pledged to license generic versions in 120 low-income countries with high HIV prevalence.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration already approved lenacapavir, and the WHO endorsed it for prevention.
The new treatment arrives as HIV diagnoses in Europe rose 11.8 percent in 2023.
Across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, more than 24,700 new cases emerged last year.
Globally, 40.8 million people live with HIV, while 630,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2024.
