Press release: Gilead’s twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention reduced HIV infections by 96% and demonstrated superiority to daily Truvada® in second pivotal Phase 3 trial

– 99.9% of participants did not acquire HIV infection in the lenacapavir group, with 2 incident cases among 2,180 participants –

– PURPOSE 2 trial results for cisgender men and gender-diverse people add to the body of evidence for the investigational use of lenacapavir for HIV prevention –

– Gilead stopped the blinded phase of the trial at interim analysis and will offer open-label lenacapavir to all participants –

FOSTER CITY, Calif., September 12, 2024 — Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the results of an interim analysis from a second pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial investigating the use of the company’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir. Lenacapavir reduced HIV infections by 96% compared to background HIV incidence (bHIV). There were 2 incident cases among 2,180 participants, corresponding to 99.9% of participants not acquiring HIV infection in the lenacapavir group. Twice-yearly lenacapavir also demonstrated superiority to once-daily Truvada ® (emtricitabine 200 mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg; F/TDF).

The trial, PURPOSE 2 ( NCT04925752 ), includes cisgender men, transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-binary individuals in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the United States who have sex with partners assigned male at birth. At interim analysis, the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) confirmed that the PURPOSE 2 trial met its key efficacy endpoints of superiority of twice-yearly lenacapavir to both bHIV (primary endpoint) and once-daily oral Truvada (secondary endpoint) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Therefore, the DMC recommended that Gilead stop the blinded phase of the trial and offer open-label lenacapavir to all participants.

“With such remarkable outcomes across two Phase 3 studies, lenacapavir has demonstrated the potential to transform the prevention of HIV and help to end the epidemic,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead. “Now that we have a comprehensive dataset across multiple study populations, Gilead will work urgently with regulatory, government, public health and community partners to ensure that, if approved, we can deliver twice-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP worldwide, for all those who want or need PrEP.”

This is the second pivotal Phase 3 trial to demonstrate superior efficacy for twice-yearly lenacapavir for the investigational use of HIV prevention as PrEP. In June 2024, the PURPOSE 1 trial, studying lenacapavir for PrEP among cisgender women in sub-Saharan Africa, was also unblinded early because it met its key efficacy endpoints.

The data from the PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials will support upcoming regulatory filings so that twice-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP, if approved, can be made available to multiple populations and communities around the world who are most in need of additional HIV prevention choices. Updates on regulatory filings for lenacapavir for PrEP will be shared as discussions with regulatory bodies progress. Gilead will begin a series of global regulatory filings by the end of 2024. This could support the initial launch of the first and only twice-yearly HIV prevention choice in 2025.

Read the full press release here.

SEE ALSO:

Updated statement on access planning in high-incidence, resource-limited countries for lenacapavir for HIV prevention