Same active drug, different purpose

People navigating HIV treatment or prevention often hear Sunlenca and Yeztugo discussed together, and it can get confusing. 

Are they the same medication? If they aren’t the same, what’s the difference?

Here’s the short answer: Sunlenca and Yeztugo both contain a drug called lenacapavir. They’re related, but they’re not interchangeable.

These two medications have different purposes: Sunlenca is used for HIV treatment for certain people living with HIV. Yeztugo is used for HIV prevention as PrEP.

If you have more questions about Sunlenca and Yeztugo, you’re in the right place. 

Read on to learn more about each medication, understand their differences, and get the information you need to talk to your clinician about Yeztugo or Sunlenca.

Interested in long-acting PrEP? Freddie can help you talk with a clinician about Yeztugo and other PrEP options.

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Quick comparison: Sunlenca vs Yeztugo

While you might see Sunlenca and Yeztugo mentioned together, they’re used for different purposes. The simplest difference between the two medications is that Sunlenca is used for HIV treatment and Yeztugo is used for HIV prevention.

If your goal is HIV prevention, there are different options available. A clinician can help you understand whether Yeztugo, Apretude, or oral PrEP is the best fit.

Your situation What to ask about
You do not have HIV and want long-acting PrEP Yeztugo, Apretude, or other PrEP options
You do not have HIV and prefer pills Daily oral PrEP
You are living with HIV and discussing treatment HIV treatment options, including Sunlenca only if clinically relevant
You may have had a recent HIV exposure PEP urgently, then PrEP planning afterward

What is lenacapavir?

Sunlenca and Yeztugo are often mentioned together because they have the same active drug: lenacapavir. However, the two medications have different uses, even though they contain the same drug.

Lenacapavir belongs to a class of HIV medications called capsid inhibitors. Without getting too technical, capsid inhibitors work by disrupting a part of the virus that it needs to replicate and spread.

The same active drug can appear under different brand names depending on how it is approved and used. When it comes to lenacapavir, the brand name signals whether it’s being used for HIV treatment (Sunlenca) or HIV prevention with long-acting PrEP (Yeztugo). 

What is Yeztugo used for?

Yeztugo is used for HIV prevention as PrEP.

‍Approved by the FDA in 2025, Yeztugo is a long-acting injectable PrEP option that contains lenacapavir. For folks who want to take PrEP without a daily pill, it can be a sustainable way to maintain HIV protection.

When you start using Yeztugo, you’ll first take a “starter dose” of two pills and two injections with a healthcare provider. You’ll take two pills the next day, too. After that, you’ll get a course of injections every six months.

As long as you stay on top of your injections, Yeztugo is over 99% effective, which can be a game-changer for those who struggle to take a daily PrEP pill.

Yeztugo is only for people who don’t have HIV. Testing is required before you get started, and you must have an HIV-negative test to start the medication.

If you want to understand your HIV prevention options, a clinician can help you understand the difference and make a choice between Yeztugo, Apretude, and oral PrEP.

Interested in Yeztugo? Freddie can help you talk with a clinician about long-acting PrEP options, your eligibility, testing, and what starting PrEP could look like. 

What is Sunlenca used for?

Sunlenca is a medication used for HIV treatment.

While it contains lenacapavir, it is not a PrEP treatment like Yeztugo.

Sunlenca is for a specific group of people: heavily treatment-experienced adults with multidrug-resistant HIV-1. In simpler terms, that means that some people who have already taken HIV treatment have become resistant to certain HIV medicines, reducing their effectiveness. Sunlenca is used to treat these individuals and is used alongside other HIV medications.

It’s important to remember: if you’re looking for PrEP, Sunlenca is not an HIV prevention option.

Why do Sunlenca and Yeztugo have different names?

Sunlenca and Yeztugo have different names because they are used in different clinical contexts.

If you searched for Yeztugo and saw Sunlenca appear, it’s probably because both medications contain lenacapavir, not because they’re used the same way.

So, while search engines and drug websites might group them together, they are not the same medication. Yeztugo is associated with HIV prevention and PrEP, while Sunlenca is associated with HIV treatment. 

If you’re trying to prevent HIV, you should ask your clinician about Yeztugo and other PrEP options like Apretude and oral PrEP — not Sunlenca.

Can Sunlenca be used as PrEP?

No, Sunlenca cannot be used as PrEP.

Sunlenca is a medication for HIV treatment for a specific group of individuals, used alongside other HIV medications. It is not for HIV prevention.

Remember: a clinician should guide any decisions that you make about medications for HIV prevention or treatment. Do not self-substitute Sunlenca for Yeztugo or another PrEP medication. 

If you’re interested in long-acting PrEP, talk to your clinician about Yeztugo and other options. And if you’re not sure which PrEP option to ask about, a Freddie clinician can help you compare Yeztugo, Apretude, and oral PrEP, too.

Is Yeztugo an HIV treatment?

No, Yeztugo is not an HIV treatment — it is a medication used for HIV prevention.

If you test positive for HIV, you’ll need an HIV treatment plan. Your clinician can work with you to determine your next steps and find the right medication that supports what you need.

When it comes to HIV prevention, you shouldn’t start taking Yeztugo until you’ve confirmed your HIV-negative status. Testing is always required before you begin taking it.

And if you think you may have had a recent HIV exposure, you shouldn’t start PrEP on your own. Instead, you should urgently ask about PEP, which can help prevent a recent potential exposure from turning into an HIV infection. 

If you’re looking for HIV prevention, ask about Yeztugo — not Sunlenca

It’s normal to have questions about HIV prevention and consider all your options before getting started. 

If you’re HIV-negative, Yeztugo is an approved lenacapavir medication for HIV prevention. If you would rather take long-acting PrEP instead of a daily pill, Yeztugo could be a good option for you and is worth asking your clinician about. 

One important thing to remember is Yeztugo isn’t the only PrEP option available. Every person is different, and the best PrEP is the one that works for you and your lifestyle. 

You don’t need to sort medication names and options alone. A clinician can answer your questions and help you compare Yeztugo with Apretude (another long-acting PrEP option) and daily oral PrEP. 

They’ll also make sure that you have everything you need to get started — testing is required before beginning any PrEP medication, and your clinician can help you coordinate these tests.