June 20, 2025
Statement on FDA approval of lenacapavir from Chris Collins, President and CEO, Friends of the Global Fight
“The twice-yearly HIV prevention shot lenacapavir (LEN) was approved by the FDA this week. This innovation promises to be a gamechanger in the HIV epidemic. Now is the moment to make a big bet and invest in LEN delivery to drive down infection rates, save lives and end the HIV epidemic as a major public health threat. The Global Fund has committed to make a major investment in LEN and other national and global actors need to step forward as well. Congress should fully fund the Global Fund and PEPFAR to enable a major investment in LEN this year. In our new report on the future of a sustainable HIV response, we identify the scale-up of LEN as central to driving down the HIV incidence rate and enabling countries to eventually take the lead in their HIV responses. The United States must do everything it can to support this process – and end the HIV epidemic once and for all.”