18/08/2026
Hundreds of people living with HIV that is resistant to all other treatments will now receive a life-saving new drug on the NHS.
While existing antiretroviral treatments work for most people with HIV to help them live long and healthy lives, there are a very small number of people for whom the virus has not responded to conventional treatments, putting their lives at risk.
NHS England has announced that, for the first time, a 'trailblazing' drug called lenacapavir will be made routinely available to this group on the NHS, to help save their lives, reduce the risk of serious illness and prevent passing the virus on to others.
'It's a great step forward and relief for those who need it that lenacapavir is now available as HIV treatment,' said Terrence Higgins Trust Chief Executive Richard Angell OBE.
'For the vast majority of people living with HIV, existing treatments mean that they can live long, healthy lives and can't pass on HIV. However, for the small number of people for whom a daily pill does not work – most likely those who took earlier HIV medication or acquired HIV at birth – the option of injectable treatment presents them with hope. For them, this news is not just game-changing, it's lifesaving. We're grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen.'
The new drug works by targeting the virus's protective outer shell (known as the capsid) to preventing it from reproducing. This novel approach is different to the way most existing HIV treatments work, which targets the enzymes that the virus uses to make copies of itself.
The breakthrough treatment, which is the first of its kind, is administered as a combination of daily pills followed by long-lasting injections.
Read more: https://tht.org.uk/news/hundreds-rare-drug-resistant-hiv-given-fresh-hope-life-saving-new-treatment-nhs
