A multinational study has highlighted the efficacy of the new HIV therapy lenacapavir in Uganda, revealing minimal resistance to the drug. Conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine, researchers identified a mere 1.6% of participants with potential resistance mutations, indicating lenacapavir’s strong potential against prevalent East African HIV strains.
A recent multinational study led by Weill Cornell Medicine has discovered minimal natural resistance to a novel HIV therapy known as lenacapavir among Ugandan patients. Published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the study is pivotal as it reinforces the potential of lenacapavir as an effective weapon against HIV, given that approximately 1.5 million people in Uganda are currently living with the virus.
According to the findings, only 1.6% of the subjects exhibited HIV strains with known lenacapavir-associated resistance mutations. Senior author Guinevere Lee, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, emphasized the significance of this statistic: lenacapavir is expected to be effective against circulating strains of HIV across East Africa.
The findings from this study affirm the likelihood of lenacapavir being a valuable treatment option in regions like East Africa, where ongoing research into drug-resistance patterns remains crucial. Monitoring for the emergence of resistant strains will be essential as this therapy is implemented more widely in Uganda. Further studies will ensure that innovative HIV research reaches communities facing unique viral challenges.
Original Source: news.cornell.edu
