The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new HIV drug that will cost Ksh5.1 million for the first two shots (FDA).
The drug, which will be given in the form of two shots, will also require patients to have yearly booster shots, which will cost Ksh4.7 million each.
Sunlenca, according to the FDA, will only be administered to HIV-positive adults.
"Sunlenca is an injectable therapy to suppress HIV for patients who have developed drug resistance to other regimens," according to a statement from Gilead Sciences, the drug's manufacturer.
On December 22, 2022, the FDA issued a statement hailing the drug as a game changer in the fight against HIV.
"The FDA today approved Sunlenca (lenacapavir), a new type of antiretroviral medication for adult HIV patients.
"After the initial dose has been completed, Sunlenca is administered as subcutaneous injections once every six months, allowing patients convenient dosing," the statement said in part.
The drug works by obstructing the HIV-1 virus's capsid protein coat, interfering with the viral life cycle.
Sunlenca will provide relief to many Kenyans, as the country is one of the most HIV-infected in the world.
According to the World Aid Report (2022), Kenya saw an increase in new HIV infections for the first time in a decade, with more than 2,000 cases rising from 32,025 in 2021 to 34,540 in 2022, for the first time in a decade.
The counties of Nairobi, Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya, Migori, Nakuru, Mombasa Kakamega, Kisii, and Uasin Gishu accounted for 57% of new HIV infections, according to the report.
According to the report, 1.4 million Kenyans are infected with HIV.
https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/83653-new-hiv-treatment-drug-costing-ksh51-million-approved
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