Is Aspen betting on the right HIV prevention product?

Aspen Pharmacare has announced that it will not be manufacturing the lenacapavir HIV prevention injection, and that it will instead focus on producing alimatravir, an experimental HIV prevention pill. Catherine Tomlinson explores the reasoning behind Aspen’s decision and assesses what it all means for local pharmaceutical production.

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TIMELINE | The journey of HIV through science, struggle, activism, and hope

From the first reported cases of HIV in 1981 to the latest breakthroughs in long-acting prevention, this Spotlight timeline traces key moments in the global and South African response to the virus. It highlights scientific milestones, political controversies, activism, and the human stories that shaped one of the most significant public health challenges of our time.

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Twists and turns in the race to be SA’s first widely used HIV prevention injection

The health department has plans to roll out lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, in a select group of public sector clinics by April 2026. Meanwhile, little progress has been made towards rolling out a two-monthly prevention injection, despite the four-year head start this product had on lenacapavir. Catherine Tomlinson reports.

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