The Department of Health (DOH) secretary, Dr. Teodoro Javier Herbosa, reported that the country will soon receive lenacapavir via PEPFAR, although he also claimed that it is for persons living with HIV (PLHIVs).
In Episode 29 of the Department of Health’s (DOH) “PinaSigla”, Herbosa claimed that lenacapvir is an injection given to persons with HIV every six months, insinuating that this is a new form of antiretroviral (ARV) medication.
ARVs are medicines taken by PLHIVs to lower their viral load (VL, or the number of HIV in the body). When the VL is already undetectable, a PLHIV can no longer infect others sexually; this is called U=U, or undetectable=untransmittable.
Herbosa even elaborated by claiming that lenacapavir is a better option than the daily ARVs because some PLHIVs encounter challenges with the frequency of taking medicines, so this is supposedly a “game changer”.
ALAMIN IN DEPTH BAGO MAGSALITA
In truth, lenacapavir is a new type of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) that only needs to be injected twice a year to provide protection against HIV.
As FYI: lenacapavir (brand name Sunlenca) is approved for use by HIV-positive adults to treat HIV-1 infection. This is particularly true for individuals with multi-drug resistant HIV whose current regimen is failing.
However, when Gilead Sciences, Inc. (the maker of lenacapavir) partnered with the US State Department and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to deliver lenacapavir, it was to promote the same as PrEP.
Meaning, in this case, it is NOT for PLHIVs but for people who are at risk for HIV infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention. In a news release, the agency stated: “LEN, the first twice-yearly injectable PrEP product, offers a highly effective, long-acting alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options. With just two doses per year, LEN is a transformative step forward in protecting people at risk of HIV – particularly those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma, or access to health care.”
This is a layered error on the side of the DOH, according to Michael David C. Tan, MDC, editor in chief of Outrage Magazine and chairperson emeritus of Bahaghari Center for SOGIE Research, Education and Advocacy, Inc. (Bahaghari Center), which helms various HIV-centric initiatives – e.g. training of Deaf Filipinos to conduct community-based HIV screening to remove dependence on Hearing service providers.
“On the one hand, if the secretary himself isn’t very familiar with lenacapavir, then we can rightfully question the lack of focus, the lack of prioritization of HIV in Bongbong Marcos’s administration,” Tan said. Particularly, “will it be introduced as new ARV for Filipino PLHIVs? This is the insinuation. But if it won’t be for PLHIVs but as PrEP, which is more likely, then miscommunication, if not misinformation, just happened.”
And on the other hand, “that people around Herbosa – e.g. whoever edited his video – also did not extensively know about lenacapavir is a warning sign; wala man lang bang may alam, or wala man lang bang nagsalita bago nilabas ang video?”
WANTED: CORRECT INFORMATION
In a statement given to Outrage Magazine, Project Red Ribbon (PRR), which helms My Hub Cares (MHC), stated that it would like “to correct the statement that lenacapavir is for HIV treatment. It is an injectable PrEP, which is administered twice a year for HIV prevention for those who tested negative on the HIV test. It is different from injectable ARVs.”
Currently, what is used in the country is oral PrEP for HIV negative individuals, and lenacapvir – if/when introduced in the country, is supposed to be an additional weapon against HIV infection, and NOT for those already with HIV.
“Statements like these can confuse the PLHIV community and give false promise that the actual injectable HIV treatment will become available soon in the form of lenacapavir,” stated Ico Rodulfo Johnson, who heads PRR and MHC.
Outrage Magazine already sent a message to the official Facebook page of the DOH. It was “seen” as of 8:16AM of February 15.
