A new HIV drug that can prevent HIV has been rolled out in Ireland. 

The newly-approved HIV PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medication, called Yeytuo, is now available across the EU and will soon be available worldwide.  

Lenacapavir was developed by GILEAD sciences back in 2010 and was approved by the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2022. Three years later, in August 2025, Yeytuo, the EU version of Lenacapavir, was approved for PrEP medication.  

The European Commission approved the new PrEP medication on Aug 26, 2025.  

Yeytuo is in a class of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) medication called capsid inhibitors, which decreases the HIV in the blood.  

Professor Jack Lambert, a consultant in infectious diseases at the Mater Hospital in Dublin said the medication represents a big leap forward in HIV treatment.  “I think the practical thing is that it’s one of the first treatments that you can give twice a year and then on top of that, it’s injectable,” said Professor Lambert. “It’s an incredible benefit on the current PrEP regimes.” 

It is also accompanied by two tablets the day after the injection, and the patient should practice safe sex. 

Yeytuo has also had  99.9% success rates in clinical trials in preventing HIV in patients, and it provides patients with easy uptake because it only needs to be administered twice a year, compared to taking PrEP pills daily.  

The drug itself can be used “by people who have HIV or those who are trying to prevent it,” Professor Lambert added.  

One underlying problem of the new medication is its very high cost, priced at $28,000 per patient.  

Speaking to TheCity.ie, Professor Lambert said that “…it has to be cost effective, the current cost the company wants to charge for PrEP for this particular agent is beyond, and the current PrEP drugs like Truvada cost €20 to €30 a month, so huge difference in cost.” 

At the beginning of October Gilead Sciences announced that it would make generic versions of the medication to be made available to low-income countries. 

They are partnering with different laboratories worldwide by sharing their medical patent of Lenacapavir to lessen the cost of the medication from $28,000 to $40 a year.  

GILEAD sciences, together with UN AIDS, Dr. Reddy Laboratories and several medical groups worldwide wide aim to make the medication more accessible by the end of 2026.  

Countries like India have begun marketing Lenacapavir and it is to be supplied by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories aims to make the drug more accessible to 120 low-income countries.  

Meanwhile, here in Ireland, there is still no information about the cost of the new medication, and it remains the US price, which is equivalent to more than €24,000. 

Aside from the cost, there are also side effects to be considered when using Yeytuo, such as “major or minor reactions at the injection site,” Professor Lambert said.  

Side-effects/Reactions could include swelling, redness, bruising, warmth, pain or discomfort, itching, hardened skin, small mass or lump/bump. 

“I think there are very few downsides to the injectable HIV medications, both for treatment and for PrEP,” Professor Lambert added.  

Though the medication itself is considered a game-changer in the field of HIV, its success is yet to be determined globally. 

“What you’re going to have to do is look at the new cases over the next number of years. For example, in Ireland, there are 400 new HIV cases a year. If they implement a new PrEP program, those numbers would drop to 200. It’s just indirect evidence that the medication has been successful,” Professor Jack Lambert said