As regulator prepares to approve lenacapavir in the US, campaigners are urging the manufacturer, Gilead, to make it ‘available and affordable for all who need it’
A drug with the potential to “end the HIV pandemic” will launch in the US this week – as a new study reveals it could be sold for 1,000 times less than its possible price tag.
Lenacapavir, given as a twice-yearly injection, can prevent someone from being infected with HIV, according to clinical trial results.
US regulatory approval is expected on 19 June, and manufacturer Gilead is being urged to keep the cost as low as possible.
The company has not yet made the price of the drug public, but it has been estimated reported that it is likely to be on par with current preventive medications at about $25,000 (£18,400) a year. As a treatment for people already living with HIV, it costs about $39,000 annually.
