Generic HIV Prevention
FILE - The Food and Drug Administration seal is seen at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 22, 2025.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV. This is a big step toward making the extremely effective drug available inexpensively and quickly in 120 low- and middle-income countries. The drug, called lenacapavir, is expected to cost $40 a person each year in these places, the same price as daily preventive pills available now. But the shots are much more convenient than the pills because they’re needed much less frequently. The generic will not be available in the U.S. because there is a brand-name version still protected by a patent.
The Food and Drug Administration is adding a new warning about possible rare cases of vision loss reported with popular drugs used for weight loss and diabetes, such as Ozempic. FDA regulators on Monday said the warning information will be added to all GLP-1 drugs, the blockbuster medications whose popularity has exploded in recent years. The new language warns doctors of a rare eye condition that can cause loss of vision. The agency says the problem can be permanent and is not fully understood. The FDA says the issue has been reported with all GLP-1 drugs on the market, though it occurs in only a tiny fraction of patients.
