A new group of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) shots that protect people for six months after injection could help end the global AIDS epidemic – that is, if manufacturers, global leaders and advocates step up to ensure the drugs are accessible to all countries for a fair price.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a highly effective new HIV-prevention medication, lenacapavir. The closest drug to an HIV vaccine, lenacapavir has shown 99% efficacy in preventing HIV infection, but its manufacturer, Gilead, is overcharging for the drug and gripping tightly to its patents in certain countries.
Patented in many Latin American countries, lenacapavir as an HIV treatment is priced at more than $40,000 (U.S. dollars) per year, but experts estimate lenacapavir’s production (plus a margin for profit) could price the drug as low as $25 with process improvements and an increase in demand. Gilead, owner of the patents, has licensed the production of the generic version to supply 120 countries, excluding most Latin American countries; even those where the respective clinical trials were carried out and in countries with rising HIV incidence – the region has seen a 9% increase in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2023.
Public Citizen has been working with 100 health groups across Latin America to overcome the patent barrier, issuing multiple compulsory license requests and calling on governments to take action to make long-acting PrEP more accessible. This week groups submitted letters to Gilead, government officials and ministries of health and patent offices.
Public Citizen Access to Medicines Director Peter Maybarduk said governments and manufacturers must prioritize meeting the global need to prevent HIV transmission.
“Gilead excluded most of Latin America from its license, but countries have the power to introduce affordable generics nonetheless, overcome the patent barrier and scale up PrEP,” said Maybarduk. “The world has an historic opportunity to end AIDS. That requires confronting the triple threat of funding cuts, stigma and pharma power.”
“This scientific breakthrough will only be meaningful if it becomes available in a timely, affordable, and equitable manner for all who need it across Latin America and the Caribbean. Access barriers in our region are not only ethically unacceptable—they undermine global efforts to end AIDS,” said Luz Marina Umbasia, Director of Global Humanitarian Progress Colombia.
“Equity in access and affordability is the only path to realizing the full lifesaving potential of long-acting antiretrovirals. Sharing technology and opening patents can expand markets and save lives—but only if done fairly and consistently, without excluding regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s time for Big Pharma to move beyond an outdated, monopolistic patent model. The world can no longer afford business as usual,” said Guillermina Alaniz, Director of Global Advocacy & Policy at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.