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Gilead to Present New HIV Research at AIDS 2026 Across Prevention, Treatment and Cure
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July 21, 2026
-– Long-Term Data from the PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 Trials Demonstrate Continued High Efficacy, High Adherence and Consistent Safety Profile of Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for PrEP –
– Detailed Phase 3 Results from the ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 Trials Highlight the Potential of Weekly HIV Treatment with Long-Acting Oral Islatravir/Lenacapavir –
– Global Access Momentum Continues for Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention, Including Discussions in Latin America –
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced its upcoming participation in the 26th International AIDS Conference ( AIDS 2026) taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 26-31. As a leader in HIV innovation, Gilead will share new scientific data from its HIV research and development programs and provide updates on its strategic initiatives and key collaborations. The data to be presented, together with Gilead-led symposia and community forums, reflect the company’s person-centered approach to advancing scientific discovery and the importance of partnership to help end the HIV epidemic.
“Progress against the HIV epidemic requires both scientific innovation and enduring partnerships with communities around the world,” said Jared Baeten, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Virology Therapeutic Area Head, Gilead Sciences. “The data Gilead is presenting at AIDS 2026 reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing HIV prevention, treatment and cure research, with the goal of expanding meaningful choices that can help support the diverse needs, preferences and experiences of people and communities affected by HIV.”
Gilead’s AIDS 2026 program highlights include:
HIV Prevention
Featured as part of the AIDS 2026 press program are new long-term follow-up data from the 52-week open-label extension (OLE) phases of the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 (NCT04994509) and PURPOSE 2 (NCT04925752) trials, evaluating twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across broad and geographically diverse populations. Following completion of the randomized blinded phases, participants in both studies had the option to receive lenacapavir in the OLE phase. More than 95% of eligible participants across the two trials elected to continue receiving lenacapavir or switch to lenacapavir from once-daily oral PrEP (either Truvada® [emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg; F/TDF] or Descovy® [emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir alafenamide 25mg; F/TAF] in PURPOSE 1, or Truvada in PURPOSE 2).
More than 7,178 person-years of follow-up in PURPOSE 1 and 5,295 person-years in PURPOSE 2 demonstrated continued high efficacy among participants receiving lenacapavir. In PURPOSE 1, no new HIV infections were observed among participants during the OLE phase, including among participants who switched to lenacapavir from once-daily oral PrEP. In the PURPOSE 2 OLE phase, there was one HIV infection among participants who continued on lenacapavir, and no infections among participants who switched to lenacapavir from once-daily oral PrEP. Adherence to lenacapavir injections remained high, defined as participants receiving lenacapavir injections twice yearly as scheduled, with 96% of those in PURPOSE 1 and 92% in PURPOSE 2 continuing lenacapavir through 52 weeks.
The new long-term follow-up data also show that the safety profile of lenacapavir was consistent with prior findings from the randomized blinded phases of both studies, with no new safety signals identified and no differences in safety signals between participants continuing on lenacapavir and those who switched from once-daily oral PrEP to lenacapavir.
Additional Gilead HIV prevention data to be presented at AIDS 2026 will include qualitative insights into why participants in PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 chose lenacapavir in the trials’ OLE phases. Other data will explore options in lenacapavir administration, including alternative injection sites, and highlight survey results about PrEP awareness and potential opportunities to expand uptake across multiple countries.
HIV Treatment
For the first time, full results from the joint Gilead and Merck (NYSE: MRK) Phase 3 ISLEND trials evaluating a novel investigational long-acting oral single-tablet HIV treatment regimen will be presented in late-breaking oral sessions, and featured in the AIDS 2026 press program. The first potential once-weekly combination regimen pairs Merck’s islatravir, a next-generation nucleoside analog with multiple mechanisms of action, including reverse transcriptase translocation inhibition, with Gilead’s lenacapavir, a first-in-class capsid inhibitor that disrupts HIV at multiple stages of its lifecycle. The findings build on the positive topline results announced in June.
Additional data from Gilead’s HIV treatment program includes an oral presentation of five-year results from a study (NCT02881320) evaluating Biktarvy® (bictegravir 30 mg/emtricitabine 120 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 15 mg tablets, B/F/TAF) in pediatric populations. Two-year outcomes from the BICSTaR study (NCT03580668), evaluating the real-world effectiveness of once-daily Biktarvy® (bictegravir 50 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg tablets, B/F/TAF) in people living with HIV, will also be presented. The analysis includes treatment outcomes and patient-reported experiences among individuals with detectable viremia who switched to the single-tablet regimen.
HIV treatment pipeline research includes an oral presentation of Week 104 outcomes from a Phase 2 open-label study (NCT05729568) evaluating the investigational combination of lenacapavir in combination with broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) (teropavimab [GS-5423, TAB] and zinlirvimab [GS-2872, ZAB]). The first potential complete twice-yearly regimen is being evaluated in two Phase 3 trials: Daybreak 1 (NCT07682961) and Daybreak 2 (NCT07683000). Additional long-acting HIV treatment pipeline data presented at AIDS 2026 will characterize the resistance profile of GS-3242, an investigational integrase inhibitor being studied as a component of a potential twice-yearly injectable HIV treatment. GS-3242 in combination with lenacapavir is being evaluated in two phase 2 studies: Pulsar 1 (NCT07645287) and Pulsar 2 (NCT07708727).
HIV Cure
Gilead will also present updates from its HIV cure research program, reflecting the company’s continued commitment to advancing research across the HIV continuum and, ultimately, helping to end the HIV epidemic.
Gilead Symposia and Community Programming at AIDS 2026
In addition to its scientific presentations, Gilead will host two symposia focused on HIV prevention and treatment: Prevention Through Partnership: How Can We Collaborate to Help End New HIV Transmissions? and Living Fully with HIV: A Person-Centered Approach to Health and Well-Being. The sessions will bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates and people affected by HIV to discuss the role of community partnerships, person-centered care and shared decision-making in advancing prevention, supporting long-term health and improving HIV care.
Gilead will also host a range of community-based programming, including the pre-conference Women Know What Works, which will focus on the issues specifically affecting women and girls in relation to HIV prevention, treatment and care.
Gilead’s Global Access Strategy for Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention
Gilead continues to make progress on its strategy to expand access to twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention as PrEP. The company recently expanded its partnership commitments with PEPFAR and the Global Fund, increasing the planned reach of its no-profit supply program by 50% – from 2 million people to up to 3 million people through 2028. Lenacapavir is now available in 10 priority countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
At the same time, licensed manufacturers, governments and implementation partners are actively preparing for upcoming generic availability, reflecting continued momentum toward making twice-yearly HIV prevention medicine, if approved, available to more people in the regions with the greatest unmet need.
Gilead is also engaged in ongoing discussions with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to explore pathways to expand access in Latin America while advancing regulatory filings across the region.
Overview of Scientific Presentations
full press release
https://www.gilead.com/news/news-details/2026/gilead-to-present-new-hiv-research-at-aids-2026-across-prevention-treatment-and-cure
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