June 2, 2026
Injectable lenacapavir for PrEP (LEN) is rolling out across Africa faster than any HIV prevention option to date. This Friday, South Africa will become the ninth African country to introduce LEN. Below are updated resources to track this progress and ensure the field moves with speed, scale and equity.
What Could and Should Happen Still with Lenacapavir for PrEP: An HIV Prevention Opportunity That Mustn’t be Squandered
In this Bhekisisa commentary, Mitchell Warren of AVAC and Wawira Nyagah of Access Bridge argue that the promise of LEN for PrEP will only be realized if governments, donors and communities act together with urgency and ambition. They warn that funding cuts and weakening prevention infrastructure threaten to undermine LEN rollout just as it becomes available in African countries. As Warren told Devex last month, “I worry we are building lenacapavir programs on a foundation of sand.”
An Advocate’s Checklist for Lenacapavir for PrEP Introduction
Use the checklist! The Civil Society Caucus of the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting HIV PrEP developed a new resource that offers practical guidance to help civil society, advocates and implementers accelerate equitable access to LEN for PrEP. The checklist is designed to support faster, community-centered rollout ahead of broader generic availability in 2027.
The Promise — and Pitfalls – of Lenacapavir
Just days after the US announced expanded support for LEN, new PEPFAR data revealed that PrEP initiations had fallen by more than 40% following US foreign aid cuts. Speaking at Devex’s Impact House during the World Health Assembly along with representatives of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and Gilead Sciences, AVAC’s Mitchell Warren described the situation as a “cruel irony”: at the very moment a transformative prevention tool is becoming available, the programs and systems needed to deliver it are being weakened.
LEN Rollout Advances
On April 22, 2026, Mozambique became the latest country to roll out LEN, and South Africa will join them on June 5, 2026. Delivery and uptake of LEN may be challenged by the loss of critical infrastructure in the wake of US cuts to foreign aid.
Overview of Key LEN Dose, Volumes, Timelines and Prices
While introduction is just beginning, there are already supply constraints, which will shape who gets LEN and when. It’s unclear whether Gilead Sciences can produce additional volumes of LEN for 2026 given manufacturing lead times. At the same time, LEN orders for 2027—across both Gilead and generic supplies—must be placed NOW to avoid disruptions, support continuity for current users and enable the scale-up needed to meet growing demand and achieve public health impact.
LEN has the potential to reach millions — and the momentum is building. Using the current oral PrEP market as a baseline, this graphic estimates what demand for LEN could look like through 2028 and shows how donor commitments currently stack up against that opportunity.
Additional LEN Resources from AVAC
- Toolkit: LEN Rollout Resources and Tools
- Summary table: Key LEN Dose, Volumes, Timings and Prices
- Data tracker: Global PrEP Tracker with updated regulatory approvals and PrEP initiations
- Webinar: HIV Prevention 2030: A Global Access Framework for Country-Led Responses dissemination
- Infographic: Potential Demand for LEN for PrEP
- News: The big US bet on HIV prevention — and why it might not work
Follow AVAC and our partner, Access Bridge to stay up-to-date on the latest advances with LEN for PrEP.