Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 martyrs arrive at al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli massacre of al-Sultan Family north of Gaza.
Qatari PM: We must not surrender to the arrogance of extremists and pursue our quest for a 'two-state solution'
Qatari PM: The only path to peace begins through negotiations and a ceasefire
Qatari PM: We demand that the Security Council assume its historical responsibility, as silence in the face of the law of the jungle undermines international peace and destabilizes the UN system
Qatari PM: The extremists who rule "Israel" do not care about the lives of the "hostages"; otherwise, how can the timing and location of the attack be explained?
Qatari PM: 'Israel's' attack on Hamas leaders in Doha is a violation of Qatar's sovereignty

New HIV prevention drug may hit the market at $40 a year per patient

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 23 Jul 2024 14:53
4 Min Read

Gilead released results last month showing Lenacapavir's 100% protection rate during a trial of over 5,000 South African and Ugandan women.

Listen
  • x
  • The Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California, undated. (AFP)
    The Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California, undated (AFP)

A new HIV prevention drug described as “the closest we have ever been to an HIV vaccine” may become available for $40 a year for each patient, a thousand times decrease from the current price, new research revealed. 

UNAids said the drug could “herald a breakthrough for HIV prevention” if it was available “rapidly and affordably”.

Sold as Sunlenca by Gilead, Lenacapavir is currently priced at $42,250 for the first year. The biopharmaceutical company is being urged to globally reduce the drug's cost by a thousand times.

Lenacapavir is administered through injection, preventing infections and suppressing HIV in infected people. However, the drug currently has a license for treatment, not prevention, despite Gilead releasing results last month showing its 100% protection rate during a trial of over 5,000 South African and Ugandan women.

A time and cost-effective alternative

The 25th International Aids conference was held in Munich on Tuesday, where a study was presented regarding Lenacapavir's pricing, production, and effectiveness. 

The research determined that, factoring ingredients and manufacturing expenses, and a 30% profit margin, the lowest feasible cost to produce a generic alternative of Lenacapavir would be $40 per year. This conclusion is based on the assumption that 10 million people would use the drug annually.

Experts said they anticipate that around 60 million people would require the drug for preventative reasons to significantly reduce HIV levels in the long run. 

Related News

Trump's aid freeze threatens millions as HIV/AIDS programs collapse

$42,000-a-year HIV vaccine trialed in Africa

“You’ve got an injection somebody could have every six months and not get HIV," lead research Dr Andrew Hill of Liverpool University said, highlighting "That’s as close as we’ve ever been to an HIV vaccine.”

The current HIV prevention methods rely on daily pills and barrier measures, such as condoms.

Generic licensing and accessibility

Advocates have urged Gilead to enable generic licensing of the drug under the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool in all low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), which comprise 95% of HIV cases. Similar approaches have occurred in the HIV treatment market where the drugs are priced higher in wealthy countries than in poorer ones. 

Hill said that if the company does not allow generic licensing, countries should issue compulsory licenses for generic manufacturing amid public health emergencies. However, Gilead stated it was "too early" to price Lenacapavir as a prevention drug since it awaiting clinical trial results and possible regulation filings, but pledging "a strategy to enable broad, sustainable access globally."

The pharmaceutical company added that this process would include supplying "countries where the need is greatest until voluntary licensing partners are able to supply high-quality, low-cost versions of Lenacapavir” and establishing a voluntary licensing program for “high-incidence, resource-limited countries." However, Gilead said choosing those countries is ongoing.

In contrast, advocates urged for access to the low-cost general forms of Lenacapavir, stressing it is pivotal for all LMICs.

Hill highlighted that trials conducted in LMICs reinforced the support for universal access, referring to the Helsinki Declaration on medical ethics, which stipulates that trials should only be tested on populations likely to benefit from the results.

Senior programs officer at Y+ Global, Joyce Oyma, said that a bi-annual injection would be "transformative for young people like me living with or at risk of HIV."

Gene-editing unlocks hope for HIV cure

Researchers asserted in March that they've wiped out HIV from infected cells through CRISPR gene-editing, and were honored with the Nobel Prize. CRISPR functions akin to molecular scissors, excising DNA to eliminate or render harmless problematic segments.

The objective is total virus eradication from the body, yet further investigation is essential to ensure safety and efficacy. While existing HIV therapies can curb the virus, they fall short of complete elimination.

Presenting their initial findings at a medical conference, the University of Amsterdam team underscored that their research is still in its infancy and not a definitive HIV cure.

  • HIV
  • HIV cure
  • AIDS
  • Aids and HIV
  • Vaccines

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Damage sustained after a Yemeni drone exploded in Ramon Airport, southern occupied Palestine, Sunday, September 7, 2025 (Social Media)

Yemeni drone successfully hits Ramon Airport in southern Palestine

  • Politics
  • 7 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Palestinians run for cover during an Israeli military strike on a building in Gaza City, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)
Politics

Israeli bombs kill 45 in Gaza as schools, homes targeted

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization
Palestine

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Hamas: Over one million in Gaza face ethnic cleansing
Palestine

Over one million in Gaza face ethnic cleansing: Palestinian Resistance

Head of the National Security Committee in Iran’s Parliament, MP Ebrahim Azizi. (Tasnim News Agency)
Politics

Iran parliament security chief: NPT exit on table if snapback invoked

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS