The 2025 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize has been awarded to three scientists whose discoveries culminated in the development of lenacapavir, a medication used to treat and prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the first approved drug to disrupt a viral capsid, a critical piece of the viral machinery that allows it to replicate.
- By CHRISTEN BROWNLEE
Because this therapy - more potent than any other HIV drug - is given only twice a year and can prevent HIV infection, it carries the promise to accelerate the end of the HIV epidemic.
The three recipients are:
- Tomas Cihlar, Senior Vice President of Virology at Gilead Sciences
- John O. Link, former Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Gilead Sciences, current Scientific Advisor at Actio Biosciences and Scientific Advisory Board member for Terremoto Biosciences
- Wesley Sundquist, Samuels Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biochemistry at the University of Utah
The $500,000 award, to be shared among the three winners, is given by the Warren Alpert Foundation in recognition of work that has improved the understanding, prevention, treatment, or curing of human disease. The prize is administered by Harvard Medical School. The award winners will be recognized at a scientific symposium on Oct. 30 hosted by Harvard Medical School. For details, visit the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize symposium website.
"Lenacapavir is a powerful example of how basic research that elucidates the structure and behavior of a virus can lead to life-changing treatments," said George Q. Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School and chair of the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize advisory board. "It reflects the best of academic-industry collaboration and marks a major step toward ending a decades-long epidemic."
