NICE decision on lenacapavir: a missed opportunity for HIV prevention
Last Friday, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) decided against recommending lenacapavir – a twice-yearly injectable form of PrEP – for HIV prevention in England and Wales.
The decision has been met with disappointment from those of us working across HIV support, prevention and activism. A key factor in NICE’s decision was the cost of lenacapavir and concerns about how much it would cost to roll out across the UK.
In response, the Terrence Higgins Trust has launched a petition calling on NICE, NHS England and Gilead to come together to find a solution.
This comes at a crucial point in the UK's ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. There is concern that not making a twice-yearly injectable form of PrEP available could undermine progress towards that goal, particularly for people who face barriers to taking PrEP in its existing forms.
James Mead, Head of Prevention at The Eddystone Trust, said:
"HIV Prevention tools are most effective when individuals are able to access those that suit their circumstances and fit into their (sex) lives, whether it's condoms, PrEP or U=U. Lenacapavir is a ground breaking intervention that would have provided flexibility, peace of mind and protection for those who may struggle with a daily or event based dosing regime for PrEP. This would be a vital tool in the box to reach the UK ambition of no new diagnosis by 2030. To hear it not being recommended is not only disappointing, it will have an impact on those people struggling to engage with current prevention interventions."
Our colleagues at the National AIDS Trust have also described the decision as a missed opportunity to utilise a groundbreaking HIV prevention tool that can protect people from acquiring HIV for six months.
Daniel Fluskey, Director of Policy at National AIDS Trust, said:
“Lenacapavir is a ground-breaking form of prevention that stops someone acquiring HIV for six months – it should be a crucial part of our HIV response in England and to see it not being made available because of its cost will cause upset and exasperation across the HIV community.The potential significance of lenacapavir is not in doubt, and we welcome NICE’s recognition of the important role it would play in HIV prevention, particularly for people who face barriers to existing PrEP options. We believe it would save lives, reduce health inequalities, and go towards achieving the UK Government’s goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.”
When important decisions go against our shared goal of ending new HIV transmissions, it is right that we speak up.
Lenacapavir could offer another way for people to protect themselves from HIV, particularly those who face barriers to existing forms of PrEP. We believe people should have access to the prevention options that work best for them – and that cost should not be the reason a potentially transformative prevention tool is left out of our HIV response.
The Eddystone Trust stands alongside our colleagues across the HIV sector in calling for NICE, NHS England and Gilead to find a way forward.
If you share our concerns, please add your voice by signing the Terrence Higgins Trust petition and calling for lenacapavir to be made available as part of the UK's HIV prevention strategy.
Sign the petition here
Sign the petition here