PRESS RELEASE

Society for Medicines Research (SMR) Honours HIV Prevention and Treatment Medication Lenacapavir from Gilead Sciences with 2025 Drug Discovery Award

24 September 2025

The Society for Medicines Research (SMR) is delighted to announce that the 2025 SMR Award for Drug Discovery has been presented to Lenacapavir, developed by Gilead Sciences, in recognition of its outstanding innovation and transformative potential.

Lenacapavir is a first-in-class, long-acting HIV-1 capsid inhibitor that introduces a novel multi-stage mechanism of action distinct from existing antiretroviral therapies. Lenacapavir’s unique properties allow it to be given twice-yearly and is now approved in the United States for HIV prevention, offering a significant advance in prevention options for people at risk of acquiring HIV. Lenacapavir has no known cross resistance exhibited in vitro to other existing drug classes and is also approved in multiple countries for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant HIV-1 infection in adults, in combination with other antiretrovirals.

This breakthrough therapy holds significant promise for improving adherence, reducing treatment burden, and advancing public health goals in HIV management and prevention.

The SMR Award is presented every two years and recognises a recently approved medicine that exemplifies exceptional scientific innovation and clinical impact. Lenacapavir was selected based on its potential impact on human health, novel mechanism of action, and the ambition and excellence of the drug discovery programme that led to the development of the molecule itself.

“We are proud to recognise Lenacapavir with this year’s award,” said Dr Daniel O Donovan, Chair of the SMR Award Committee. “This medicine exemplifies the patient-focused, transformative science the SMR seeks to promote and celebrate, and has the potential to make a profound difference in the field of HIV prevention and treatment.”

The award will be formally presented at the upcoming SMR “Recent Clinical Candidates and SMR Award meeting”, to be held on the Thursday 4 December 2025 at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.

About the Society for Medicines Research (SMR)

Founded in 1966, the Society for Medicines Research is an independent, non-profit organisation that brings together scientists and professionals from across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic sectors. The SMR promotes excellence in drug discovery and development through regular scientific meetings, networking opportunities, and the recognition of significant achievements in medicines research. The biennial SMR Award celebrates the successful translation of innovative science into approved therapies that offer real benefit to patients.