The Kenyan government has authorized the deployment of Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis drug expected to make life easier for people at high risk of infection by sparing them daily dosing.
In a statement released on January 10, the Ministry of Health said that it had considered a recommendation from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to register Lenacapavir 300 mg tablets and a 464 mg injectable formulation of the drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP.
Lenacapavir acts by inhibiting important steps in the HIV lifecycle, preventing the virus from infecting the body. Unlike current PrEP therapies, which are taken as a daily oral medication, the novel drug is designed in a long-acting formulation that only requires administration bi-annually.
According to health experts, this might prove to be a breakthrough in the prevention of HIV, especially in patients who find it challenging to stick to daily medication because of the pill fatigue effect. Nothing can be more discreet, comfortable, and easier than the injectable form of the drug.
The trials revealed that the most frequent symptomatic report included mild cutaneous responses in the area around the injection site, including pain, erythema, and small nodules. These occurred in between 68 and 83 percent of patients. These symptoms very rarely led to stopping treatment.
This was months after President William Ruto committed to roll out a long-lasting HIV prevention method in January 2026. This followed many appeals for more flexible and user-friendly HIV prevention products.
Being one of the first countries on the Africa continent that recommends Lenacapavir for registration, it aligns with future public healthcare guidelines worldwide, including that of the World Health Organization.
“Kenya is among the countries that will receive the first uptake of the drug Lenacapavir through partnerships globally, and there is pre-planning to make sure the medicine is rolled out in the appropriate and responsible manner to persons who will benefit through being at high risk of HIV,” the Ministry of Health said.
The new development comes as Kenya continues to make strides in the treatment and control of HIV infections. Daily oral PrEP is already being distributed in all 47 counties and has managed to reach thousands of people who could have contracted HIV.
Today, 87 percent of the population living with HIV is on treatment, as well as 90.1 percent for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, resulting in an ever-increasing number of HIV-free births.
Health experts say that the inclusion of Lenacapavir is additionally expected to improve the country’s response to the HIV pandemic. “The inclusion of Lenacapavir is an important milestone in the country’s response to the HIV pandemic. It is therefore expected
