Latin America and the Caribbean continue to face significant gaps in HIV prevention and treatment. The region accounts for around one in ten new HIV infections globally, with key populations and their sexual partners disproportionally affected. Twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir could offer a more convenient prevention for people who struggle with adherence to daily treatment.
The Unitaid-funded ImPrEP LEN study, led by Fiocruz, is generating critical real-world evidence on how people choose, access and use lenacapavir, and how health services can adapt to deliver it. The study is taking place across nine sites in seven Brazilian cities and focuses on men who have sex with men, transgender and non-binary people aged 16 to 30. The study is also examining the factors that influence uptake and adoption of lenacapavir to help inform rapid and scalable implementation in Brazil and beyond.
In this interview, Dr. Beatriz Grinsztejn, principal investigator of the ImPrEP study in Brazil, shares her perspective on the potential of lenacapavir to transform HIV prevention, what it will take to integrate this new option into Brazil’s public health system, and why affordable pricing will be essential to making it accessible to those who could benefit from it most.