HIV and sexual health activists protested today at Gilead Sciences’ London Office demanding the company allow generic manufacturers the ability to produce generic lenacapavir, a new and effective long-acting HIV prevention drug, to ensure global equitable access.
Unveiling a banner urging ‘Gilead Stop Your Delay: Generic Lenacapavir Now!’ along with a giant PrEP syringe, Activists delivered a letter to Gilead, demanding that they make the drug available and affordable to low- and middle-income countries where people are at the highest risk of acquiring HIV.
Lencapavir, a new long-acting, twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug that is almost 100% effective in preventing the acquisition of HIV can allegedly be produced for $40 per person, per year including a 30% profit margin. Gilead instead has chosen to price this ‘miracle’ drug at upwards of $40,000 a year – a price unaffordable for those who need it most.
Gilead is yet to announce an access strategy for lenacapavir. They could share the technology and formula freely or follow existing precedent with their drug tenofovir with a voluntary licence to the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool. If such a licence included all low- and middle-income countries it would allow other manufacturers to produce the drug, helping to bring down prices through generic competition whilst also enabling greater supply to meet demand and ultimately help to end new HIV transmissions.
beyondpositive has contacted Gilead Sciences for comment and will update the article should we receive one.
