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Deals Set $40 Price for Twice-Yearly HIV PrEP in 120 Countries by 2027

Backed by global funders, Indian manufacturers will make generics while Gilead supplies no-profit doses as a bridge.

Nurses take blood for free HIV tests during a HIV prevention campaign marking the World AIDS Day in Lima, Peru December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo/File Photo
A pharmacist holds a vial of lenacapavir at a research lab in Cape Town, South Africa, July 23, 2024 (AP photo by Nardus Engelbrecht).
Indian generic drugmakers Hetero and Dr Reddy’s will be funded by the Gates Foundation and Unitaid, respectively, to produce and sell the twice-a-year anti-HIV shot at about R692 per person per year. (Anna-Maria van Niekerk)
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Overview

  • Dr. Reddy’s and Hetero will produce generic lenacapavir for about $40 per person per year for 120 low- and middle-income countries starting in 2027.
  • Unitaid, CHAI and Wits RHI are supporting Dr. Reddy’s, while the Gates Foundation is backing Hetero with more than $80 million and volume guarantees to accelerate supply.
  • Gilead granted royalty-free licenses to six generic firms and is coordinating interim access with the Global Fund and the U.S. government to reach roughly 2 million people before generics arrive.
  • Lenacapavir, a six-month injection branded as Yeztugo, showed near-100% protection in trials and is recommended by WHO, with U.S. FDA approval in June and European approval in August.
  • Access gaps and delivery hurdles persist as some upper-middle-income countries such as Brazil are excluded from current licensing, and prevention budgets and service capacity are under pressure; Zimbabwe is among 10 countries selected for early rollout.