A new HIV prevention injection, hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against AIDS, has demonstrated near-perfect results in clinical trials. The drug, known as lenacapavir, requires administration only twice a year.

Results of the trial for HIV prevention in men and gender-diverse people, are published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial showed that the injection was 96 per cent effective in preventing HIV.

The trial, known as PURPOSE 2, demonstrated that 99.9 per cent of participants who received the injections did not acquire HIV, offering hope for ending the HIV epidemic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working to develop guidelines for lenacapavir based on the trial results. The WHO is also working to ensure that lenacapavir is affordable and accessible, especially in regions with high HIV rates.

Gilead Sciences expects to submit regulatory filings to get lenacapavir approved for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the United States.

Gilead has also pledged to make lenacapavir available in resource-limited countries by offering licenses to generic drug makers.