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Lenacapavir Regulatory Approval

Global Health Watch: PEPFAR saved, PrEP pill advances to Ph3, NIH ad councils, IAS highlights

This week’s Global Health Watch highlights major developments in HIV prevention science and policy, spotlighted at the IAS 2025 conference in Kigali, Rwanda. From new WHO guidelines recommending injectable lenacapavir for PrEP to Merck’s once-monthly PrEP pill advancing to Phase 3 trials, the HIV prevention pipeline is expanding and evolving. All this amid an increasingly intense fight to protect global health funding.

HIV Research on Pause

This presentation, delivered by AVAC’s Executive Director, Mitchell Warren at IAS 2025, shares a sobering picture of the sweeping changes to science, global health and particularly, HIV R&D since January 20, 2025. It outlines the impact of foreign aid cuts, NIH grant terminations, and policy shifts and shares a vision for the future.

EXPrESSIVE Phase 3 Trials

Seventeen countries are hosting sites for Merck’s trials of a monthly pill for PrEP. Launch is expected in Q3 2025. This graphic shows where these trials are taking place.

Nicole Ondisa Oduya

Renny Mulala

Joseph Robert Linda

Nawanyaga Gloria

Gcebile Yvette Dlamini

Day 1 at IAS 2025: Funding cliffs, epidemic-ending possibilities, and essential advocacy

The 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science, started this week amidst unifying calls to confront the collapse of US support for the HIV response with commitments to reimagine funding, research, development and programming aimed at sustaining progress toward ending the epidemic.