The second Trump administration commenced in 2025 with a sweep of funding cuts, including a 90-day freeze on USAID, which paused operations surrounding the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). A year later, two new studies released by the International AIDS Society (IAS) found that the freeze left a devastating impact on the program.

Innovation Trumps Tribulation

Committed to turning information and science into action, scientists have not surrendered to the tribulations caused by the limitations placed on PEPFAR, and persist in driving innovation to hinder the global impact of HIV and AIDS. Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company, leads research and development of antiviral drugs for HIV, AIDS, hepatitis B and C, influenza and COVID-19.

At AIDS 2026, Gilead will share the results of the 52-week open-label extension of the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials, which evaluated the antiretroviral drug lenacapavir as an HIV prophylactic measure across geographically diverse populations through randomized blinded phases. This injection has the potential to reshape what HIV prevention looks like, as it is only taken biannually, as opposed to the oral once-daily PrEP.

Original reporting: The Washington Informer — read the source article.