"Lenacapavir will cost $40 (30) a patient a year in 120 low- and middle-income countries from 2027, under two agreements with generic drug manufacturers announced this week. Last year there were 1.3m new HIV infections globally and experts have said that lenacapavir, as a preventive drug or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), could have a transformative effect on that figure. The drug, given as an injection every six months, almost completely prevented new cases of HIV in clinical trials."
"The World Health Organization recommended it as a preventive drug in July, with the director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, describing it as the next best thing to an HIV vaccine. There had been questions about whether the drug would be affordable enough to make a difference in the countries with the highest rates of HIV. It was launched in the US with a list price of $28,218 a year."
Generic licences and funding agreements will enable twice-yearly lenacapavir injections to be supplied at $40 per patient per year in 120 low- and middle-income countries from 2027. Clinical trials showed the injection almost completely prevented new HIV cases, and the World Health Organization recommended its use for PrEP. Six generic manufacturers, including Dr Reddy's and Hetero Labs, will supply the drug under partnerships with Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Wits RHI and the Gates Foundation. The reduced price aligns the injectable with oral prevention pills, addressing adherence and stigma challenges.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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